Imane Khelif made a striking entrance into the Olympics on Thursday morning.
The 25-year-old Algerian boxer, who had been sidelined from last year’s World Championships, made her mark with an impressive performance.
Despite the setbacks she faced, Khelif was cleared to compete in Paris and quickly proved her skill in the ring.
In a thrilling moment captured on film, Khelif landed a powerful right hook that forced her opponent, Italy’s Angela Carini, to withdraw after just 46 seconds of their bout.
Khelif’s punch was so impactful that Carini staggered across the ring, and though she managed to stay on her feet initially, the hit landed squarely on her chin.
Moments later, Carini walked to her corner, clearly in pain, and informed her team, “It hurt like hell.” After a brief consultation, Carini decided to forfeit the match, leading to Khelif’s victory.
Khelif’s appearance at the Olympics has stirred up controversy, partly due to her previous disqualification from the World Championships in New Delhi last year.
Her disqualification came just hours before a gold medal bout against China’s Yang Liu, due to elevated testosterone levels which did not meet the competition’s eligibility criteria.
The Algerian Olympic Committee accused the disqualification of being part of a conspiracy to hinder their chances of winning a gold medal, attributing the high testosterone levels to “medical reasons.”
Disqualifications and Regulations
Alongside Khelif, Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan was also disqualified from the World Championships.
According to feminist website Reduxx, both athletes are believed to have a Difference of Sexual Development (DSD), a medical condition present from birth that affects genitalia in relation to chromosomes.
In response, the International Boxing Association (IBA) stated that their decision was based on a thorough review process.
They clarified that neither Khelif nor Lin Yu-Ting underwent testosterone tests but were instead subjected to a recognized evaluation during the World Championships in 2022 and 2023.
These tests reportedly showed that both athletes did not meet the necessary eligibility criteria and had competitive advantages over other female competitors.
Regulatory Challenges
The IBA has expressed concerns about the differing regulations between their organization and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), questioning the fairness and safety of the Olympic competition.
The IBA’s authority was diminished when the IOC stripped them of recognition amid governance issues, leading to the formation of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit to oversee the event.
This new unit has allowed both Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting to compete under the less stringent rules from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where both athletes faced early-round exits.
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