- Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has competed in the women’s welterweight event
- She won her first fight after her opponent withdrew after just 46 seconds
- A lip-reader has now revealed what was said before the fight was called off
A lip-reader has revealed what Imane Khelif’s opponent said after withdrawing from their boxing match on Thursday afternoon, according to reports.
Khelif is one of two boxers cleared to compete in the Olympics despite being banned from last year’s World Championships due to being deemed biologically male.
Amid the eligibility row, the Algerian has now won her first bout at the Games after Italian opponent Angela Carini abandoned their bout after 46 seconds.
Carini was punched twice by Khelif in the opening round of their women’s welterweight belt in Paris, before withdrawing.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, a lip-reader has claimed that Carini told her corner ‘it hurt like hell’ when getting hit by Khelif.
Imane Khelif – one of the two boxers involved in an eligibility row at the Olympics – won her first boxing match of the Games after her opponent withdrew in the opening round on Thursday
Khelif landed two brutal shots onto Angela Carini before the bout was called off
A lip-reader has now revealed what Carini told her corner after the fight was abandoned
She then said afterwards: ‘I took the second blow to the nose and it hurt so bad, I didn’t feel like continuing. Did I let myself be influenced by the media case? No, I was here to win my Olympics. Giving up was a gesture of maturity, not of surrender’.
The Italian boxer, who claimed before the fight that she could ‘only adapt to the rules of the Olympics‘, was then seen crying in the centre of the ring following the abrupt conclusion of the bout.
Khelif’s participation in the event has been a source of controversy having been disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year.
The Olympics website noted that Khelif had been disqualified hours before a gold medal bout against China’s Yang Liu in New Delhi after her elevated levels of testosterone failed to meet the eligibility criteria.
The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) hit back by claiming the disqualification was part of a ‘conspiracy’ to stop them from winning a gold meal and said ‘medical reasons’ were behind high testosterone levels.
Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan was also disqualified from the World Championships.
According to feminist website Reduxx, both are thought both are impacted by a Difference of Sexual Development (DSD), a series of medical conditions identified at birth where genitalia is atypical in relation to chromosomes.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) released a statement on Wednesday, stating their decisions were made ‘after a meticulous review’.
Carini was hit twice in the opening round before abandoning the contest after 46 seconds
The Italian boxer dropped to her knees after abandoning and was seen crying in the ring
The IBA stated that neither athlete underwent testosterone exams, but were instead ‘subject to a separate and recognised test’ which were held at their World Championships in 2022 and 2023.
It is claimed the tests ‘conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria’, with both boxers ‘found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.’
The IBA hit out at the IOC, stating its differing regulations ‘raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety.’
The IBA are not responsible for the Olympic competition having been stripped of recognition by the IOC amid ongoing governance issues – with the organisation establishing the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit to run the event.