Italian boxer Angela Carini ended her match against Algerian opponent Imane Khelif just 46 seconds into the fight at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The match took place at the North Paris Arena and was anticipated to be a fierce competition. However, Carini, 25, chose to stop the fight, citing her safety as the primary concern.
“I am heartbroken,” The Guardian quoted Carini as saying. “I went to the ring to honor my father. I’ve been told many times that I’m a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this before.”
Carini explained that a powerful punch from Khelif dislodged her chinstrap, followed by a second blow that struck her chin and left her bleeding.
The Italian boxer emphasized that the pain she felt was unlike anything she had experienced before, which led to her decision to withdraw.
“After the second punch, with all my years of experience, I felt a strong pain in my nose. I said enough because I didn’t want to finish the fight after the punch to the nose. So it was better to put an end to it,” she explained.
Recalling her experience in the ring, she said, “I got into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt too much, so I said enough. I’m going out with my head held high. I am in pieces because I am a fighter; they taught me to be a warrior.”
Khelif’s participation in the women’s category became highly controversial, given her past disqualification from the 2023 Women’s World Championships.
Both Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei were excluded from last year’s competition after failing testosterone and gender eligibility tests, which revealed they had XY chromosomes, typically associated with males.
Imane Khelif, who spoke to the BBC after her win, declared, “I am here for gold. I will fight anybody, I will fight them all.”