The sixth day of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris took a scandalous turn when Angela Carini pulled out of her women’s preliminary boxing match against Algeria’s Imane Khelif just 46 seconds after the opening bell.
Khelif’s entry into the games has been criticised as she was infamously disqualified from the World Championships after “her elevated testosterone levels did not meet the eligibility criteria”, according to the IOC.
However, Khelif, a biological female with a difference of sexual development condition, was still given the green light to compete in Paris.
The decision became ammunition against the committee after Khelif hit Carini with the “hardest blows” she had received and forced her to retire.
For the Italian boxer, the defeat meant much more than just a fair chance of taking home a medal. The loss in the round of 16 also dashed the promise Carini had made to her late father before the Games.
Angela Carini suffered a controversial defeat against Imane Khelif at the Olympic Games
Carini arrived at the Paris games with the promise of honoring his late father Guiseppe
After qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Carini expressed that securing a spot at the Olympics meant much more than representing her nation and competing on the world stage.
Carini’s father, Giuseppe, died in 2021, days after she returned home from the Tokyo Games. She had therefore made it her mission to honour him in Paris and channel all the wisdom he had passed on to her before his death.
“I want to show you something,” she said, taking her mobile phone out of her pocket after qualifying for the games. “It’s my father. He told me: ‘Angelina, a boxing champion is a bit like in cycling. They come to the last kilometre and you know what they do? They pedal even harder. So go all the way, because I’ll always be with you.'”
“And so I did. I fought to the end with blood in my eyes.”
Days before the opening ceremony, Carini posted a slideshow of photos with her father on Instagram and wrote: “and a promise to my dad.”
Giuseppe passed away in 2021, shortly after Angela returned home from the Tokyo Olympics.
Carini pulled out of the fight less than a minute into the first round on Thursday.
The Italian boxer said she retired due to the power of Khelif’s punches
Khelif’s next opponent is unfazed by the controversy over the Algerian’s illegibility
The commitment he had to keep his promise was reflected in the sadness Carini showed after failing to fight his way to elimination. Even in defeat, he referenced the encouragement he received from his father.
“I’m a fighter. My father taught me to be a warrior. When I’m in the ring, I use that mentality, a warrior’s mentality, a winning mentality,” Carini told reporters after pulling out of the fight. “I couldn’t do it this time.”
“I didn’t lose tonight, I just gave it my all.”
“I’m used to suffering,” the Italian said after retiring from the fight. “I’ve never been hit like that, it’s impossible to continue. I’m nobody to say it’s illegal.”
Khelif to face Hungarian Anna Luca Hamori in women’s welterweight quarterfinals
Hamori soundly defeated Australian Marissa Williamson Pohlman in her last fight
Despite the IOC’s backlash for “allowing a trans woman” to compete in the event, Khelif will face Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the quarter-finals.
Although Khelif’s unfair advantage has been denounced worldwide, the Hungarian says she has no fear ahead of Saturday’s match.
“I’m not afraid,” Hamori told reporters. “I don’t care about the story in the press or on social media. If she or he is a man, it will be an even bigger victory for me if I win.”