Riley Gaines has accused Olympic officials of ‘glorifying male violence against women’ amidst the debate surrounding Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s gender.
Khelif, who was disqualified from last year’s world championships for failing gender eligibility tests, decisively defeated Italian competitor Angela Carini in her first Olympic match on Thursday after being permitted to participate in the Paris Games.
Despite failing eligibility tests in 2023, the 25-year-old was authorized to fight in the women’s welterweight division in Paris this summer—a controversial decision that has ignited global discussions.
To add to the controversy, Khelif dominated her Olympic opener against Carini, leading to Carini’s withdrawal from the match just 46 seconds in.
Numerous athletes, both past and present, have criticized the choice to allow Khelif to compete, following previous tests that indicated she is a ‘biological male’ with ‘XY chromosomes’.
Riley Gaines has criticized Olympic officials after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif (right) outperformed female Italian rival Angela Carini (left) amidst gender controversy
Ex-college swimmer Gaines believes this situation exemplifies ‘glorifying male violence against women’
Gaines, a former college swimmer who has consistently advocated for the respect of biological genders in sports after competing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, is among those expressing outrage at Khelif’s participation in the Olympics.
She shared a video of Khelif overpowering Carini on X and commented: ‘Call me crazy, but it seems that women don’t desire to be punched in the face by a male while the world watches and cheers.’
‘This is simply glorified male violence against women.’
Carini faced two heavy punches from Khelif in the initial round of their matchup in Paris.
The strikes knocked off her chin strap, and she ultimately returned to the center of the ring to forfeit the bout, resulting in Khelif being named the winner.
The Italian boxer, who stated before the match that she would ‘only adapt to the rules of the Olympics’, was seen crying in the ring upon the announcement of her defeat.
The Olympics website confirms that Khelif was disqualified hours prior to a gold medal match against China’s Yang Liu at the world championships due to elevated testosterone levels that did not meet eligibility standards.
Gaines is among the high-profile individuals criticizing Khelif’s participation in the women’s category at the Paris Games
Carini faced two punches from Khelif during the opening round of their match
The Italian boxer abandoned the fight just 46 seconds in, shedding tears in the ring
However, the Algerian Olympic Committee has claimed that the disqualification was part of a ‘conspiracy’ to prevent them from securing a gold medal and asserts that ‘medical reasons’ contributed to the elevated testosterone levels.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) issued a statement on Wednesday, confirming that their decisions were made ‘after a meticulous review’.
Earlier, three-weight women’s boxing world champion Claressa Shields expressed her concerns over Khelif participating in the Olympics.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa tweeted: ‘So they have men fighting against women in Olympic boxing! I wouldn’t have tolerated such a situation!’
‘It’s incredibly disheartening for the women whose dreams are shattered by a man. Truly sad!’
