The recent bout between Italy’s Angela Carini and Algeria’s Imane Khelif raises serious concerns, reminiscent of the controversial Chinese banner displayed recently at a gymnastics event.
This serves as a poignant reminder of the potential consequences if this misguided ideology continues unchecked.
Should male-bodied boxers keep competing against women, we risk witnessing legalized violence masquerading as sport.
The International Olympic Committee’s alarming decision to endorse this reckless behavior betrays a monumental failure to prioritize female safety. Carini took crucial self-defensive actions during the match—actions that may have ultimately safeguarded her life.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif (left) won her women’s welterweight bout when Angela Carini (right) quit
Carini was hit twice in the opening round before abandoning the contest after 46 seconds
The Italian boxer dropped to her knees after quitting and was seen crying in the ring
Khelif’s participation in the event has been a source of controversy having been disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year
Carini admitted before the fight that ‘she could ‘only adapt to the rules of the Olympics’
Taiwan’s Lin Yu Ting has been cleared to compete, despite also being disqualified from last year’s World Championships
Within mere moments of her fight with Khelif beginning, after taking just two hits and 46 seconds in, Carini pleaded with her team to withdraw her and subsequently fell to the mat in tears.
It’s evident that Khelif possesses a physique typical of a heavily muscled male.
The initial blow from the Algerian knocked Carini’s chin strap loose. The second strike—a punch her described as more excruciating than anything she had faced in her illustrious career—was sufficient to convince her to call it quits.
‘Testosterone’ stands as the central issue in this controversy, which also involves a boxer named Lin Yu Ting from Taiwan.
Both fighters have received clearance to participate in the Paris Olympics despite their disqualification from last year’s World Boxing Championships for failing hormone tests, specifically due to elevated levels of testosterone.
Although neither Khelif nor Lin is believed to be transgender, they are more likely classified as ‘intersex’, although definitive information is sparse.
Regardless, their respective national Olympic committees recognize them as women.
Nonetheless, what about their muscular builds and the potential that they have XY chromosomes, typically associated with biological males?
In light of the Charlotte Dujardin incident, the IOC appears occupied with preventing horses from being whipped and ensuring clean water for triathletes, yet seems inexplicably tolerant towards the dangers women face in boxing against more muscular adversaries.
Did none of the delegates, amidst their lavish experiences, pause to look at footage of Khelif overpowering previous female opponents and recognize that boxing represents one of the most dangerous sports for women facing male-bodied competitors?
After all, fatalities do occur among male fighters in the boxing arena.
Is the IOC not only blind but also misinformed?
Charlotte Dujardin was banned from the Olympics for whipping a horse 24 times around the legs
She has won three Olympic gold medals but will not be adding to her tally in Paris
Both men’s and women’s triathlon races took place amid water quality concerns in the River Seine
Paris 2024 and World Triathlon stressed the water quality met their strict tests to allow racing
Sharron Davies, despite her affiliation with the snowflake BBC, has vehemently condemned the inclusion of biological males in women’s sports, including swimming, as scandalous—a sentiment echoed by tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
Boxing legend Barry McGuigan from Northern Ireland has also lashed out at the IOC for their decisions.
Death seems to be a looming threat in the ring, and this occurs while Olympic authorities search for justifications to exclude boxing—one of the foundational sports from the original Olympic Games—from the forthcoming event in Los Angeles 2028. Such an action would deeply betray the Olympic spirit.
Fortunately, a straightforward solution exists.
I stand with others advocating for a distinct category for transgender individuals and those of undefined gender identity in sports—similar to how weight divisions function in boxing.
This necessity extends beyond boxing; every sport should establish such separate categories.
Participation should never come at the expense of someone’s well-being.
