The International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a statement Thursday following Italian Angela Carini’s refusal to finish a women's boxing match against male opponent Algerian Imane Khelif. Carini surrendered 46 seconds into the fight after she was walloped in the face by Khelif, who was denied entry into the 2023 World Champions on account of the fact he has XY chromosomes, which indicates he is biologically male. The IOC prior to the 2024 Paris Olympic match said anyone who disputes the player’s womanhood, citing his passport that says he is a she, is on a “witch-hunt.”“Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination,” wrote the IOC. “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations.”“The gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport. .The IOC said the policy is based on rules from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics “to minimize the impact on athletes’ preparations and guarantee consistency between Olympic Games,” and continued to perpetuate the claim Khelif and another male boxer allowed to box against women in the Olympics, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting. . “We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. The two athletes have been competing in international boxing competitions for many years in the women’s category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships and IBA-sanctioned tournaments,” wrote the IOC. “These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA” to exclude them from the World Champions due to their male chromosomes. .“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure — especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years,” wrote the IOC. “Such an approach is contrary to good governance.”“The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving.”.Carini after being punched in the face said it "hurt like hell."After the match she told reporters she "went into the ring to fight.""I didn't give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I'm leaving with my head held high,” Carini said, per the Daily Mail.
