There was a controversial end to a bout in the women's 66kg division at the Olympics this morning, with Italy's Angela Carini withdrawing after just 45 seconds of her fight against Algeria's Imane Khelif.
Khelif's presence at the Olympics has been a topic of discussion over the last number of days, with some feeling as though she should not be allowed to compete at the games in Paris.
The 25-year old was disqualified from the World Championships in India last year, just hours before she was due to fight for the gold medal. At the time, it was reported that she had been banned due to increased testosterone levels. IBA president Umar Kremlev went on to suggest that the fighter had 'XY chromosomes'.
This move came despite the fact that Khelif has been boxing at the highest level of the sport for a number of years, including at the Tokyo Olympics where she lost out to Ireland's Kellie Harrington in the quarter-finals.
As the IOC was in charge of deciding on eligibility for the Olympics (as opposed to the IBA for the World Championships), she was deemed eligible to compete in this year's edition of the games.
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Controversial end to Olympic bout involving Imane Khelif
Khelif would face Carini in Paris this morning, with the Italian fighter withdrawing after just 45 seconds as a result of taking some heavy blows during the opening exchanges.
Angela Carini si ritira dopo 45 secondi nell’incontro con Imane Khalif. #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/OOhy5xnpqR
— Trash Italiano (@trash_italiano) August 1, 2024
Remarkable scenes as Italian fighter Angela Carini abandons her bout with Imane Khelif after 46 seconds #RTESport #Paris2024 #boxing
📺 Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7
📱Report https://t.co/G7fLeFBRfo pic.twitter.com/yVuD3tVSUw— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 1, 2024
Speaking after the fight, the Italian said that an issue with her nose caused her to bring the bout to an end.
I have always honoured my country with loyalty. This time I didn't succeed because I couldn't fight anymore.
I put an end to the match because after the second blow, after years of experience in the ring and a life of fighting, I felt a strong pain in my nose.
I said 'that's enough' because ... I could not bring the match to an end. So I thought, maybe it's better to put an end to the match.
Imane Khelif's presence at the Olympics has divided opinion.
Some feel that her disqualification from last year's World Championship should have been enough to rule her out of the Paris games, while others have suggested that the fact that she has been raised as a woman since birth and has fought in the women's divisions for a number of years should allow her to continue to compete.
One fighter with an interesting perspective is Amy Broadhurst.
The Dundalk woman has starred in the women's 66kg division in recent years, and while she is not boxing at this summer's Olympics, she has faced off against Khelif in the past.
Yesterday, she shared her opinion on the the controversy surrounding the Algerian.
Have a lot of people texting me over Imane Khelif. Personally I don’t think she has done anything to ‘cheat’. I thinks it’s the way she was born & that’s out of her control. The fact that she has been beating by 9 females before says it all.
— Amy Broadhurst (@amybroadhurst12) July 31, 2024
Amy Broadhurst would then go on to share footage today of her own meeting with Imane Khelif, which came in the final of the 2022 World Championships.
On that occasion, the Irishwoman would emerge victorious.
Thoughts after watching this? pic.twitter.com/OtwDdkrtas
— Amy Broadhurst (@amybroadhurst12) August 1, 2024
It is unlikely that the controversy surrounding Khelif's presence at the Olympics will subside over the coming days, although it is interesting to hear the opinion a fighter who has previously faced her in the ring on the matter.
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