Following Thursday’s controversial end to the women’s 66kg preliminary match between Angela Carini and Imane Khelif at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, The International Boxing Association (IBA) has decided to step in.
IBA President Umar Kremlev announced in a statement that the organization award Carini with $50,000 in prize money, which Carini would have received had she won the gold.
JUST IN: The International Boxing Association (IBA) is awarding Italy’s Angela Carini with $50,000 in prize money after she got defeated by a fighter with XY chromosomes.
“IBA will award Angela Carini, who abandoned the fight against Algeria’s Imane Khelif at Paris 2024 Games… pic.twitter.com/arNqbDCgmF
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 3, 2024
“I couldn’t look at her tears,” Kremlev said. “I am not indifferent to such situations, and I can assure that we will protect each boxer. I do not understand why they kill women’s boxing. Only eligible athletes should compete in the ring for the sake of safety.”
Khelif had previously been disqualified at the 2023 World Championships in New Delhi after failing a gender eligibility test.
Although full results are kept confidential, the IBF said in a statement that tests “conclusively indicated” Khelif “did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and (was) found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.”
Carini withdrew just 46 seconds into their fight on Thursday after taking a hard shot from Khelif to the nose. She promptly fells to her knees in tears, refusing to shake the hand of Khelif as she yelled “unjust!” She later apologized to Khelif for her immediate reaction.
Italy coach Emanuele Renzini had encouraged Carini to not go through with the fight.
“Many people in Italy tried to call and tell her, ‘Don’t go please. It’s a man, it’s dangerous for you,'” Renzini said.
The International Olympic Committee does not conduct the same gender eligibity testing as the IBA. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams issued a statement this week claiming that all of the boxers in the women’s circuit “are women in their passports.”
Khelif will fight on, but Carini’s Olympic dream is over.
