Female Boxer Who Lost To Fighter Who Failed Gender Test Issues An Apology In Strange Turn Of Events

Italy's Angela Carini fell to her knees and was brought to tears after abandoning her boxing match against Algeria's Imane Khelif on Thursday, but 24 hours later, she's the one apologizing amid the gender controversy taking over the Olympics in Paris.

Carini decided to abandon the match against Khelif - who was previously deemed to have XY chromosomes - just 46 seconds into the fight. After the loss, Carini explained through tears that one punch from the Algerian "hurt too much."

Despite the International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualifying Khelif from the Women's World Boxing Championship in March 2023, after the president of the IBA said the fighter was "trying to fool their colleagues and pretend to be women," the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that Khelif meets all requirements to fight in the women's division in Paris.

While Carini was visibly distraught after her loss to Khelif, she's now changed course after the IOC has deemed the controversial fighter as eligible. She also voiced regret over not shaking Khelif's hand after the match ended.

"All this controversy makes me sad," Carini told Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport. "I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision."

"It wasn’t something I intended to do," Carini said, referencing the non-handshake. "Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke."

Many would suggest that Carini had plenty of reason to be angry about the situation she was put in, which makes her apology to Khelif all the more surprising.

Khelif is not the only boxer in the women's division who has failed a gender test in the past. Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting, who has already won a fight in Paris, was also disqualified from the Women's World Boxing Championship last year for the same reason Khelif was.