The first rival of controversial Algerian trans boxer retires in 46 seconds

Italian Angela Carini decided to leave the ring after receiving a powerful right hook to the face from Khelif.

After the blow, Carini raised his arm and went to his corner to speak to his trainer, who communicated his withdrawal with his hands to the referee.

The judge called both boxers to the centre of the ring and raised Khelif’s arm as the winner in the round of 16 of the welterweight (63.5-66.6 kg) bout, while Carini fell to her knees in tears.

The Algerian then approached to shake his hand, but Carini avoided it.

“I couldn’t go on. My nose was hurting so much that I said, ‘Stop.’ It was better not to go on,” the Italian said afterwards. “It could have been the fight of my life, but at that moment I had to save my life too.”

“I’ve always fought against men, I train with my brother, but today I felt too much pain,” Carini said about the power of the blows received.

Gender tests

Khelif is one of two female boxers whose presence in Paris has drawn sharp criticism, including from some female boxers, after they were disqualified from the 2023 world championships for failing gender eligibility tests.

However, they were considered suitable for the Paris Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) media website said Khelif, 25, was disqualified from the world championships because of “elevated testosterone levels that did not meet eligibility criteria.”

Taiwanese Yu Ting Lin, who will make her debut in the 57kg category on Friday, was disqualified for the same reason from the 2023 World Championships, organised by the International Boxing Federation (IBA).

Both boxers competed in the last Olympic Games in Tokyo-2020, where the Algerian finished in fifth place and the Taiwanese in ninth.

After the first fight, Khelif’s coach, Mohamed Chaouau, told reporters that his pupil “has been given the strength to continue onwards by all this controversy.”

“Are lies”

On Thursday, Khelif was greeted at the Paris Arena Nord with great applause from numerous Algerian supporters waving their national flags.

Hours earlier, the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) had come to the defence of its boxer, saying she was the victim of “lies” and “unethical attacks”.

The IOC, which took over the organisation of Olympic boxing due to the IBA’s governance, financial and ethical problems, on Tuesday backed the presence of both boxers at the Games.