Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni decried the fairness of the Paris Olympics match between Italy’s Angela Carini and Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who was deemed to have male chromosomes.
Carini abandoned the fight in 46 seconds after getting punched in the face twice. One punch forced her to go to her corner to readjust her headgear.
Meloni spoke out about the fight afterward.
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"I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions," Meloni said, via The Telegraph. "And not because you want to discriminate against someone, but to protect the right of female athletes to be able to compete on equal terms.
"I regret it (Carini’s withdrawal) even more. I was emotional yesterday when she wrote ‘I will fight’ because the dedication, the head, the character, surely also play a role in these things.
"But then it also matters to be able to compete on equal grounds and from my point of view it was not an even contest."
Carini was emotional as the fight ended and when she spoke to reporters. She was heard in the ring calling the bout unfair.
"I got into the ring to fight," she said via Italy’s ANSA. "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."
Carini’s coach, Emanuele Renzini, said that quitting the match was not a part of the plan ahead of time.
"It would have been easier not to show up, because all of Italy had been asking her not to fight for days," Renzini said. "But Angela was motivated and wanted to do it.
"Of course, when she met her opponent at the draw, she said 'it's not fair.’ But there was no premeditation here today. She quit after taking one punch, she told me she didn't feel she could fight."
Khelif was disqualified during the 2023 World Championships, sanctioned by the International Boxing Association. The organization said Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting failed to meet gender eligibility standards.
IBA President Umar Kremlev explained the decision at the time, according to Russia’s Tass News Agency. Reuters reported at the time that Khelif tested positive for having high levels of testosterone.
"Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition," Kremlev said.
Khelif and the Algerian Olympic Committee both denied the claims. The International Olympic Committee also cleared Khelif to compete in the Games.
The IBA released a statement on the controversy on Wednesday.
"On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023," the organization said referencing a Taiwanese boxer also caught up in the controversy. "This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.
"Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential. This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors."
IBA also critiqued the IOC for allowing Khelif and Lin to compete.
"Our Committees have rigorously reviewed and endorsed the decision made during the World Championships. While IBA remains committed to ensuring competitive fairness in all of our events, we express concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organizations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games.
"The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety."
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