Italian boxer apologises after quitting Olympic bout

Italian boxer Angela Carini has expressed regret for her actions following her abrupt abandonment of her Paris 2024 Olympic bout against Algeria’s Imane Khelif.

The fight ended after just 46 seconds.

Carini admitted to being angry about the end of her Olympic dream but apologised for not shaking hands with Khelif after the match.

“It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini explained, “Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.”

Despite the controversy surrounding Khelif’s participation, with the Algerian boxer having been disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Championships for failing to meet eligibility criteria, Carini expressed respect for the IOC’s decision to allow her to compete.

“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.”

The 25-year-old Italian boxer defended her decision to stop the fight, emphasizing the importance of self-preservation. “It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment,” Carini told BBC Sport.

The International Boxing Association (IBA), which conducted the eligibility tests last year, confirmed that Khelif did not meet the required criteria.

However, the IOC has stood by its decision to allow her to compete. IOC spokesperson Mark Adams stated, “The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, has a female passport.”