Paris Olympics: One of the most debated moments in Olympic history, Imane Khelif failed gender test
Paris Olympics: Angela Carini fell to her knees in tears and declined to shake hands with Khelif, who instead offered a comforting pat on the back to the Italian boxer.
Paris Olympics: Why was a male permitted to participate in competition with a female?
Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her women’s 66kg match against Algerian Imane Khelif at the Paris 2024 Olympics after only 46 seconds in the ring. Carini, clearly distressed, burst into tears following her decision to withdraw from the fight, causing a lot of debate. Khelif is one of only two boxers permitted to participate in the Olympics after being disqualified from the women’s world championships last year for not passing testosterone and gender eligibility tests.
Requested to end bout
In the match, Carini, who is six centimeters shorter than Khelif, went to her coach after 30 seconds to adjust her headgear but after briefly continuing the fight, she went back to her corner and requested for the bout to be ended.
Following the halt of the game, the referee lifted Khelif’s hand up in the air. Nevertheless, an angry Carini quickly pulled her hand back from the referee before leaving the ring without shaking her opponent’s hand.
In the ring
During the boxing bout, the Algerian landed a right hand on the Italian first, leading to her headgear being inspected. Not long after, Khelif attempted to throw a sequence of punches, prompting Carini to indicate that she wanted to end. Carini later admitted that she decided to leave after being hit harder than she had ever been before. The initial blow dislodged her chinstrap while the following hit landed on her chin, resulting in blood staining her shorts.
Failed gender test
Iman Khalif was unable to compete in the 2023 World Championships due to not passing a gender test. His blood testosterone levels were significantly higher than the allowable limit for females. Yet, in 2024, Iman Khalif was deemed eligible to participate in the Games as a woman by the International Olympic Committee. Reportedly, a gender eligibility test revealed that she had XY chromosomes, which are commonly seen in males. The majority of females possess XX-chromosomes.
Read more: PV Sindhu’s bid for hat-trick of badminton medals ends after R16 loss in Paris
Indian Olympic Committee statement
“They are women as stated on their passports, women who have participated in the Tokyo Olympics, and have been competing for a long time,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams announced during a press briefing. Additionally, the IOC has stated that testosterone does not always play a role in determining physical advantage.
Read more: Proud moment for India, Swapnil Kusale wins bronze medal in Olympics
Social media backflash
There was a strong backlash on social media regarding the Angela Carini vs Imane Khelif bout, as users were puzzled about why a male was permitted to challenge a female. Additionally, the hashtag #IStandWithAngelaCarini is currently popular on X.
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