Transgender Boxer Wins Olympics in 46 Seconds After Opponent Stops Fight and Walks Out of Ring

Italian boxer Angela Carini has withdrawn from her fight at the Paris Olympics against Algerian Iman Khelif, who had previously failed a gender test.

In the 1/8 finals match in the 66 kg weight category, Karini refused to continue the fight against Khelif. As a result, 46 seconds after the start of the fight, the Algerian athlete who had changed gender was declared the winner. The Italian threw her helmet on the floor, refused to shake her opponent’s hand, pulled her knees up and cried, speaking about the injustice.

The Italian boxer later commented on the fight. “I am not in a position to say whether it is right or not. I did everything that every fighter should do, going into the ring and fighting, but I could not do it anymore. I leave with my head held high and a broken heart. (…) When I feel that something is not going right, I do not give up, I show maturity and stop,” she said.

After the fight, the Algerian Boxing Federation rejoiced at Khelif’s victory. On its Facebook page (a social network banned in Russia; belongs to the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation and banned) The message also appeared: “Congratulations to the Algerian boxer Iman Khelif, who is confident in the ring and is reaching the quarter-finals, having easily defeated Karini.”

Olympic Boxing Match Criticized by Athletes and Politicians

The fight caused controversy at the Paris Olympics, with the IOC currently facing a slew of backlash from the sports community. Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss also spoke out about the fight. On social media, she criticized the fight between Carini and Khelif. “Why? Why doesn’t the British government object to this?” she asked.

British swimmer and Olympic champion Sharon Davis echoed the public sentiment, calling the events at the Olympics “legalisation of beating women”. She also supported the statement that sport should now be “fair and safe”.

In 2023, the IBA boxing association suspended Khelif and another fighter from Taiwan, Lin Yuting, from competition. This happened during the World Championships, when the athletes failed a gender test. The tests showed that the boxers have XY chromosomes and elevated testosterone. At the same time, as indicated, the IBA allowed them to participate in women’s competitions in 2024, including the Olympics.

In turn, Russian boxer, former WBC world champion Grigory Drozd said that transgender people should not compete with women. He noted that it is difficult for a woman to defeat a man, since he is stronger than her by nature.

The Olympic Games kicked off in Paris at the end of July.

The 2024 Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11 in Paris.

The opening ceremony took place on the Seine River. The event was one of the largest ever held in France. More than half the world’s population, some four billion viewers, are expected to watch the Games. 22 cities and 40 venues will host 878 competitions in 54 different disciplines.

The ceremony also proved controversial for including a scene that was supposedly a reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” and included transgender people.

Later, the head of the Greek Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece, also criticized the event. “All this is worthy of absolute contempt,” he said. In the birthplace of the Olympic Games, Greece, the interpretation of the “Last Supper” was called the collapse of civilization.

The Olympic organizing committee apologized for what happened. They noted that they had no intention of offending anyone.