The Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is competing in the women’s category despite having high testosterone levels – a gender debate has now erupted over this. Her defeated opponent Angela Carini is defending her.
The defeated Italian Angela Carini has expressed her incomprehension about the gender debate surrounding the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. “If the IOC thinks she can fight, I respect that decision,” the 25-year-old told the “Gazzetta dello Sport”. She tried to ignore the discussion.
“These controversies have definitely made me sad and I feel sorry for the opponent, who is also only here to fight,” said Carini. She lost to Khelif by technical knockout after 46 seconds in the first round. Her opponent had been excluded from the 2023 World Championships due to elevated testosterone levels. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had granted permission to compete in Paris.
Bach: “She is a woman”
IOC President Thomas Bach made his position clear to the Ansa news agency. “She is a woman who has been competing at an international level for six years,” the 70-year-old said of Khelif, stressing after a meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: “We agreed that we want to stay in touch and clarify and improve the scientific background in order to make the situation more understandable.”
Carini had initially fuelled the debate herself through her behaviour. After the end of the fight, there was no customary handshake. However, this was a misunderstanding. “It was not an intentional gesture, I apologise to her and to everyone. I was angry because the Olympics were over for me. I have nothing against Khelif, if I met her again, I would hug her,” said Carini.
Meloni stirs up debate about Imane Khelif
When she said it wasn’t fair, she wasn’t referring to Khelif. “That’s absolutely not the case. It wasn’t fair that my dream ended so quickly,” said Carini. She had been preparing for three years and wanted to fight for a medal. Khelif’s second blow came as a shock to her: “I gave up, something wasn’t right. It wasn’t planned, it was an instinctive decision.”
Meloni believes that Khelif should not have been allowed to compete in the Summer Games. “You have to be able to compete on equal terms. From my point of view, it was not a competition between equals,” said the 47-year-old. “I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be allowed to compete in women’s competitions. Not because you want to discriminate against anyone, but to protect the rights of female athletes so that they can compete on equal terms.”
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
