Paris Olympics Boxer Says She Quit Because “I Had To Safeguard My Life”
Italian boxer Angela Carini quit an Olympic boxing match on Thursday, July 1, after only 46 seconds in the ring. The defeated Olympian admitted she was afraid for her life given the fierce blows delivered by her biologically male opponent Algerian Imane Khelif.
The 25-year-old received two punches in the face from Khelif, the second one being considerably stronger. Carini then walked away and admitted defeat. As the referee declared Khelif the winner, Carini refused to shake hands with Khelif. Carini then sank to her knees and wept.
The female-born welterweight fighter later told news outlets, “It could be the match of my life but, in that moment, I had to safeguard my life, too. I felt to do this, I didn’t have any fear, I don’t have any fear of the ring or to get hit.”
She continued, “I fought very often in the national team. I train with my brother. I’ve always fought against men, but I felt too much pain today. I am heartbroken. I have big pain in my nose and blood on my finger.”
“I’m used to suffering. I’ve never taken a punch like that, it’s impossible to continue. I’m nobody to say it’s illegal,” Carini confessed.
The Naples-born athlete never specifically mentioned that she had just been punched by someone who had been born with male body parts but it was the divisive issue that was on the minds of many, especially after witnessing Carini’s unexpected withdrawal.
In promoting gender equality and diversity, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) might just have encouraged a biologically born male to beat up a woman for sport.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss objected to the fight on X, saying, “When will this madness stop? Men cannot become women. Why is the British Government not objecting to this?”
Meanwhile, the author of “Harry Potter,” JK Rowling, angrily wrote, “Watch this then explain why you’re OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn’t sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organizers who allowed this to happen, this is men reveling in their power over women.”
Carini is a former police officer who previously shared her mantra: “’Boxing is a sport that teaches you to have respect for your opponent. It can be a weapon in life, but only for defense. It cannot and must not become an abuse. Like any sport, it can instead become a vehicle for venting anger and pain.”
Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships for failing testosterone tests that sought to classify her as a woman.
