An Italian boxer’s resolution to abandon her Olympic match in opposition to an Algerian fighter who was deemed to have male chromosomes has reinvigorated controversy round gender equity.
A former Olympic boxing champion referred to as out organizers for permitting the battle to even happen on “America’s Newsroom” Thursday.
“It is very hard to qualify for the Olympics,” two-time Group USA Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields stated.
“You have to go through so many different international tournaments, country tournaments to even make it to the Olympics. So, for me, I can understand her devastation. But it shouldn’t be ruined due to a man. And I think that the Olympics definitely dropped the ball.”
Angela Carini of Team Italy reacts after abandoning the Women’s 66kg preliminary round match against Imane Khelif of Team Algeria in the first round on day six of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena on August 01, 2024 in Paris, France. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif defeated Italy’s Angela Carini in Paris Thursday after Carini deserted the match 46 seconds after it started, saying afterward that one punch from Khelif “hurt too much” to proceed.
“[At] my first Olympics, I was 17 years old, so I hadn’t even fully developed as a woman, so I couldn’t imagine getting inside the ring with a biological man,” Shields stated.
“I don’t even see how the Olympics done something like this.”
Khelif fought below a firestorm of controversy concerning a failed gender eligibility check in 2023. DNA exams confirmed Khelif examined constructive for having excessive ranges of testosterone.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif, left, fights Italy’s Angela Carini of their ladies’s 66kg preliminary boxing match on the 2024 Summer time Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Picture/John Locher)
“Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition,” IBA president Umar Kremlev stated.
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Khelif and the Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) each denied the claims. The Worldwide Olympic Committee additionally cleared Khelif to compete within the Video games.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting was additionally cleared to compete regardless of failing to fulfill gender eligibility requirements alongside Khelif in 2023.
“It’s just unfair. I just can’t believe that it’s being done, and I just couldn’t imagine it happening to me,” Shields stated.
Italy’s ANSA quoted Rosario Coco, the president of Gaynet Communications in Italy, as saying that he realized Khelif was intersex and never transgender.
“In contrast to the reports that have been circulating, the Algerian athlete Imane Khelif is not a trans woman,” Coco informed the information company.
“From the information we have about her, she is an intersex person, who has always socialized as a woman and has a sporting history in women’s competitions.”
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 15: Claressa Shields celebrates after defeating Savannah Marshall, throughout their undisputed middleweight championship battle at The 02 Area on October 15, 2022 in London, England. (Picture by Mark Robinson/High Rank Inc through Getty Pictures) ((Picture by Mark Robinson/High Rank Inc through Getty Pictures))
Shields has vocalized her outrage in opposition to the choice to permit Khelif and Yu-Ting to compete within the Olympics, arguing athletes ought to compete in opposition to opponents of the identical intercourse.
“I don’t have anything against transgender women or transgender men. All I’m saying that men should fight against men. Women should fight against women and transgenders should fight against transgenders,” Shields said.
Fox Information’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
