An Algerian boxer in the middle of a gender eligibility controversy at the Paris Olympics won her first matchup against an Italian fighter in 46 seconds on Thursday.
Imane Khelif was given the win after Angela Carini abandoned the match. Carini was struck twice in the face and walked over to her corner twice, once to get her headgear readjusted and the second to have her coaches call off the bout.
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Carini was in tears after Khelif’s hand was raised in the middle of the ring. The Italian boxer was clearly upset and was seen yelling at her coaches after the fight was over.
Khelif will move on to the next round of the women’s 66-kilogram division. However, the win comes amid a week of controversy.
The Algerian Olympian was disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championships after the International Boxing Association determined Khelif failed gender tests. According to Reuters, Khelif was found to have elevated levels of testosterone.
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The International Olympic Committee cleared Khelif to compete and the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) pushed back on criticism ahead of Thursday’s bout.
"COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets," the organization said, via Reuters.
"Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics. The COA has taken all necessary measures to protect our champion."
Italian officials expressed concerns about Khelif’s eligibility.
"It is surprising that there are no certain, strict, uniform criteria at the international level," Italian Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said, adding it was strange "that there can be a suspicion, and far more than a suspicion, of an unfair and potentially dangerous contest for one of the contenders at the Olympics, an event that symbolizes sporting fairness."
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