After the fuss surrounding her Olympic qualification, the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won her round of 16 match at the Summer Games after just 46 seconds. Her Italian opponent Angela Carini complained of pain in her nose after a few punches and gave up. The handshake that is customary in boxing did not take place after the duel.

Khelif’s participation in the games in Paris caused a lot of controversy because of her disqualification at the World Championships last year. At that time, the 25-year-old was not allowed to compete in the final due to elevated levels of the male sex hormone testosterone. In Paris, however, she will be able to compete for medals.

Carini’s coach Emanuele Renzini said in an initial reaction: “I don’t want to judge for the IOC and I know that the issue is difficult, but this fight was unfair.” The International Olympic Committee had approved Khelif for Paris.

After the announcement of her defeat, the Italian sank to her knees in the ring, crying. Even minutes later, she was repeatedly overwhelmed by her emotions during numerous interviews. “I got into the ring to give it my all. I wasn’t interested in the person standing in front of me at that moment. The pain in my nose was too much. I couldn’t breathe anymore,” reported Carini.

Another boxer was disqualified at the World Championships

The World Championships a year ago were organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which is no longer recognized by the IOC. Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting was also subsequently disqualified after winning her bronze medal at the World Championships, but is allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. She will fight Uzbek Sitori Turdibekova in the featherweight division on Friday. Both Yu-ting and Khelif have already competed in the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo.

IOC defends permission to start

IOC spokesman Mark Adams defended the admission of the two boxers. “There are people involved, we are talking about people’s lives. They have competed in women’s events, they have won against women and they have lost to women over the years,” said Adams.

The Algerian Olympic Committee condemned the criticism of many boxing fans, which rained down on Khelif, especially on social media. “These attempts at defamation based on lies are completely unfair, especially at a crucial moment when she is preparing for the Olympic Games, the pinnacle of her career,” it said in a statement. “We are all behind you, Imane. The whole nation stands behind you and is proud of your achievements.”