Olympic boxer walks out of ring after just 46 seconds against rival who had failed gender eligibility test
Italian boxer Angela Carini has walked out of the ring at the Olympic Games just 46 seconds into her bout with Algeria's Imane Khelif.
Kehlif was declared the winner after Carini abandoned the bout following just a few punches from her opponent.
The Italian boxer raised her hand and had her gear checked by the corner before getting back into the fight and taking another punch from Kehlif, leading her to raise her glove and back out of the fight.
The Algerian went over to try and hug her opponent but the gesture was rejected.
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There is some controversy over Kehlif, who was one of two boxers competing in the Olympics that failed gender eligibility tests at the 2023 World Championships.
Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu‑ting were both disqualified from last year's competition, with International Boxing Association (IBA) president Umar Kremlev saying they 'proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded'.
The IBA is not in charge of boxing at the Olympics in Paris and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said they were happy for both boxers to compete.
The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) has hit out at 'baseless' attacks on Khelif.
According to the BBC, before Khelif's bout with Carini they said: "COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets.
"Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics. The COA has taken all necessary measures to protect our champion."
Khelif previously competed at the Olympics in Tokyo and the IOC have said all the boxers 'comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations'.
The boxer had previously competed at the IBA 2022 World Boxing Championships, where she won silver, and has competed in the women's events in various other boxing competitions without issue.
According to The Guardian, after the 2023 World Championships Khelif claimed there was a 'big conspiracy' against her.
She said: "People have conspired against Algeria so that its flag doesn’t get raised and it doesn’t win the gold medal."
Khelif, a UNICEF ambassador, had previously said that she got into boxing despite her father's disapproval of girls boxing.
However, she since said that her parents were her 'biggest fans'
She wrote: "I am deeply honored to be an ambassador for UNICEF.
"My message to young people is to follow your dreams. Don’t let obstacles come in your way, resist any obstacles and overcome them.
"My dream is to win a gold medal. If I win, mothers and fathers can see how far their children can go. I particularly want to inspire girls and children who are disadvantaged in Algeria."
Team GB's current medal count - 20
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
- Tom Dean, Kieran Bird, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matthew Richards, Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 4x200m freestyle
- Alex Yee: Men's triathlon
- Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott and Georgina Brayshaw: Rowing - Women's quadruple sculls
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
- Kieran Reilly: Cycling - Men's BMX Freestyle
- Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten: Rowing - Women's coxless four
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
- Beth Potter: Women's triathlon
- Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson: Diving - Women's synchronised 10m platform
- Oliver Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson: Rowing - Men's coxless four
- Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde: Rowing - Women's double sculls
Topics: Boxing, Olympics, Sport, Imane Khelif
Joe Harker