Boxer Angela Carini apologizes for not shaking Imane Khelif’s hand after Olympic fight

Italian boxer Angela Carini came to the 2024 Paris Olympics aiming for a medal to honor her late father and coach, who died shortly after she participated in the Tokyo Games three years ago.

But Carini’s performance in Paris lasted just 46 seconds Thursday before she abandoned her bout against Algerian opponent Imane Khelif, with a spot of blood on her trunks.

Even though Carini said she wasn’t making a political statement about Khelif, who was disqualified from last year’s world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, the move reopened debate about Khelif’s status.

Afterward, a still-tearful Carini said she quit because of the pain from Khelif’s opening punches, adding that her nose bled afterward.

“My face and nose were hurting,” Carini said, according to the Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. “I couldn’t breathe anymore. I thought about my family, I looked at my brother in the stands and I went to my corner to retire. … I’ve never been hit with such a powerful punch.”

Carini added that it wasn’t a pre-meditated move.

“All this controversy makes me sad,” Carini said. “I’m sorry for my opponent, too. … If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision.”

Carini was apologetic for not shaking Khelif’s hand after the bout.

“It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini said. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke. I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her.”

Who is Angela Carini?

The 25-year-old Carini competes in the 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) class, otherwise known as welterweight. She won silver medals at both the world and European championships in 2019.

She was also a gold medalist at the European youth championships. She lost her opening fight in Tokyo.

Carini’s nickname, “tiger,” was given to her by her father, Giuseppe.

What’s her background?

Carini was an Italian champion in clay pigeon shooting before she switched to boxing. She made the switch to follow her brother, who also left shooting for boxing.

“My brother and my father taught me boxing,” Carini said. “I owe everything to them.”

Who is Imane Khelif?

Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, and her presence at the Paris Olympics has become a divisive issue.

Khelif is an accomplished amateur who won a silver medal at the International Boxing Association’s 2022 world championships. The same governing body disqualified her from last year’s championships shortly before her gold-medal match because of what it claimed were elevated levels of testosterone.

The 25-year-old entered the ring at the North Paris Arena to a chorus of cheers, but the crowd was confused by the bout’s sudden end. Khelif, who fights again Saturday, didn’t speak to reporters.

What happened in Carini’s fight against Khelif?

Carini exchanged a few brisk punches before abandoning her bout — an extremely rare occurrence in Olympic boxing. Carini didn’t shake Khelif’s hand after the referee formally raised it. She cried in the ring after sinking to her knees.

Her actions sparked a discussion far beyond Paris about whether Khelif should have been allowed to compete after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test from the now-banned International Boxing Association. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni discussed the issue with IOC president Thomas Bach during a meeting in Paris on Friday.

The IOC has repeatedly defended Khelf’s right to compete this week.

“Despite our requests to have certainties and guarantees, both for the safety of our athlete and for the regularity of the competition, they’ve confirmed that (Khelif) is within these parameters,” Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malagò said.