Algerian Iman Khalif needed only 46 seconds to qualify for the quarter-finals of the under-66kg boxing competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics, after her Italian competitor Angela Carini withdrew.
Iman Khalif outperformed her opponent from the start of the fight, landing several punches, before Carini headed to her coach 30 seconds later to fix her headgear before resuming the fight, but she quickly returned to her corner before leaving the ring.
Carini went to her coach 30 seconds after the fight to fix her headgear, but after resuming briefly, she returned to her corner and stopped, then quickly left the ring after announcing her withdrawal from the fight.
"For me, this is not a defeat, when you climb those ropes, you are already a warrior, you are already a winner, I did not lose tonight, I just did my job as a fighter, I entered the ring and fought, I could not do it, I will go out with my head held high and a broken heart," Italian player Angela Carini said after her loss, in statements published by Sport Mediaset.
He added: "I received very strong blows, I no longer felt the desire to fight in the first minute, I started to feel a strong pain in my nose, it is not my habit to give up." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke about the match, saying: "I was excited for Angela, but it was not an equal match."
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was subjected to smear campaigns by the European press and fans, before and after the match, especially after she was excluded from the final of the 2023 World Boxing Championships, for failing to meet the gender eligibility rules to participate in women's boxing events, due to high levels of testosterone.
Some sports have set testosterone levels that are allowed for athletes competing in women's competitions, while other sports have banned all players who suffer from this issue.
Iman Khalif recently received approval from the International Olympic Committee, as Mark Adams, the committee's spokesman, said in press statements that everyone who will participate in the women's category has complied with the eligibility criteria and has previously competed in several tournaments.
Iman Khalif previously participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and was eliminated at that time from the quarter-finals. The Algerian Olympic Committee was keen to support Iman Khalif, after it published an official statement in which it confirmed that what is happening to her is unethical behavior, and described the foreign media's coverage of news about the Algerian champion as false propaganda.
The Algerian Olympic Committee called on the public to encourage and support Iman Khalif, and indicated that her high level causes insomnia for her competitors, and the necessary measures will be taken to protect the Algerian champion.
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