Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s swift 46-second victory over Italy’s Angela Carini at the Paris Olympics has ignited a heated debate over gender eligibility rules. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni claimed the match was “not on an equal footing.”
“I think that athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women’s competitions,” Meloni stated during a meeting with Italian athletes in Paris.
In a post on X, Meloni wrote, “I know that you won’t give up Angela, and I know that one day you will get what you deserve through strength and sweat. In a competition that is finally equal.”
Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships, organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA), after failing to meet the eligibility criteria for the women’s competition.
“The athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential,” the IBA explained in a statement on Wednesday.
“The urgent nature of the decision (to disqualify the boxers) was justified, as the safety of our boxers is our top priority.”
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) deemed Khelif eligible to compete in the women’s competition in Paris and defended the decision, criticizing the IBA’s action as arbitrary.
“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” the IOC stated. “Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.”
During the match, Carini retired hurt and rejected Khelif’s attempt to shake hands after enduring a barrage of punches from the Algerian boxer. Carini collapsed to her knees and wept uncontrollably in the ring, sparking widespread outrage online.
Former US president and Republican nominee Donald Trump commented on his Truth Social network: “I WILL KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS!”
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova condemned the situation as “deplorable,” alleging that Khelif was a “biological man.”
Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, wrote on X that Carini “and other female athletes should not have been exposed to this physical and psychological violence based on their sex.”