Angela Carini (l.) cried after her defeat. But that had nothing to do with her opponent Imane Khelif, she later said.
Photo: imago/Zuma Press
The defeated Italian Angela Carini has expressed her lack of understanding about the gender debate surrounding the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. “If the IOC believes she is allowed to fight, I respect that decision,” the 25-year-old told the Gazzetta dello Sport. She tried to ignore the discussion. “These controversies have made me sad, and I feel sorry for the opponent who is only here to fight,” said Carini.
IOC President: “She is a woman”
She lost to Khelif by technical knockout after 46 seconds in the first round. Her opponent was excluded from the 2023 World Cup because of elevated testosterone levels. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) nevertheless granted permission to start in Paris. IOC President Thomas Bach made a clear statement to the Ansa news agency. “She is a woman who has been competing at international level for six years,” said the 70-year-old about Khelif. The IOC had previously called for moderation in view of the public debate. “Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination,” it said in a statement on Thursday evening. The world association IBA, which has been suspended for years, is primarily to blame for the excitement surrounding the Algerian Khelif and the Taiwanese Lin Yu-ting.
Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the IBA during the 2023 World Cup; The basis for these decisions were controversial gender tests. In Paris, the responsible IOC admitted both athletes. This had caused discussions – on Thursday they became more heated after Khelif’s opponent seemed to have no chance in the opening fight. The IOC now complained about “misleading information” about both athletes: “Both were victims of an arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the 2023 World Cup they were disqualified without due process,” it said. “The current aggression” is based exclusively on this decision, which was made by only two people from the IBA leadership.
Carini initially fueled the debate herself through her behavior. After the fight ended, there was no usual handshake. However, this was a misunderstanding. »This was not an intentional gesture, I apologize to her and to everyone. I was angry because the games were over for me. I have nothing against Khelif. If I met her again, I would hug her,” Carini said.
Meloni stirs up debate
Even her statement that it wasn’t fair didn’t mean Khelif: “That’s absolutely not the case. It wasn’t fair that my dream ended so quickly,” explained Carini. She had been preparing for three years and wanted a medal.
According to Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Khelif should not have been admitted. »You have to be able to fight on equal terms. From my point of view, it wasn’t 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 under equal conditions.” After meeting Meloni, Thomas Bach emphasized: “We agreed that we would stay in touch and share the scientific background “We want to clarify and improve it in order to make the situation more understandable.”Agencies/nd
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