Imane Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, and social media was upset about it.
Imane Khelif, who was deemed to have male chromosomes, won the fight in the 66-kilogram women’s division after Angela Carini abandoned her match. The fight lasted all of 46 seconds before Carini could not take being punched in the face by a biological male.
Khelif celebrated the win while Carini was left in tears.
Following the bout, Angela Carini was seen yelling at her coaches in Italian as she questioned the fairness of the bout. She yelled, “This is unjust,” at her corner and slammed her headgear in the ring.
Social media was pissed:
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Angela Carini also refused to shake hands with Khelif and ripped her hand away from the ref as Khelif’s was raised as the winner in the middle of the ring.
Unfortunately, Khelif is not the only transgender boxer at the Olympics. There is at least one more who is permitted to fight at the Olympics despite being disqualified from the women’s world championships last year for failing testosterone and gender eligibility tests.
Angela Carini Speaks Out After Quitting Boxing Match Against Transgender Boxer
Less than a minute into her bout against transgender boxer Imane Khelif — Italy’s Angela Carini decided that she was done taking punches to the face as she raised her hand to stop the fight in the opening seconds of the first round.
Following the disappointment, Carini revealed that she had pulled out after being hit harder than she had ever been hit.
Angela Carini stated the first punch dislodged her chinstrap, and a second smashed against her chin and bloodied her shorts.
“I am heartbroken,” said Carini, per The Guardian. “I went to the ring to honor my father. I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.”
The 25-year-old, from Naples, added: “I got into the ring to fight. I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I’m going out with my head held high.
“After the second punch, after years of experience, I felt a strong pain in the nose. I said enough, because I didn’t want. I couldn’t finish the fight after the punch to the nose. So it was better to put an end to it.
“I am in pieces because I am a fighter, they taught me to be a warrior. I have always tried to behave with honour, I have always represented my country with loyalty. This time, I didn’t manage to because I couldn’t fight anymore. Regardless of the person I had in front, of me, which doesn’t interest me, regardless of all the row, I just wanted to win. I wanted to face the person that I had in front of me and to fight.”
