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The Italian woman’s boxer Angela Carini claimed she has suffered online abuse in the wake of her notorious defeat to Algeria’s Imane Khelif at Paris -ol last summer.
Carini ended his Olympic match against Khelif after only 46 seconds when pictures of Algerian’s blow to Carini shook viewers all over the world. Khelif, who previously failed sex eligibility tests for another international competition, won by winning gold.
The incident received global setbacks from advocates to protect women’s sports, especially after Carini stopped her fight and cried to journalists about the pain she felt from Khelif’s battle.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif (in Red), Italy’s Angela Carini starred in the women’s 66 kg preliminaries round of August 1 in Paris 2024 at North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 1, 2024. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)
On Thursday, Carini released a video on Instagram with screens of abuse messages she received on social media-some asked her not to go to the Olympics again, others call her “a coward” and “the shame of the Italian team” and a voiceover of the 26-year-old explanation of how she felt.
“Have you ever wondered how difficult it was for me to meet these words? What had I had to endure and endure day after day? What had I had to meet in my silence while retaining my health from a stupid social network, from people talking and saying words without thinking twice?” Said Carini. “For for them it’s just a phrase, it’s just a word, it’s just fun, it’s just to want to follow the crowd.”
Carini’s decision to end the match burned a discussion far beyond Paris about whether Khelif should have been allowed to compete, with President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who spoke out.
She said the incident has “destroyed” her career.
“For many, it’s easy to forget the past, but for me it wasn’t,” Carini said in his video. “The past that marked my life. The past that left wounds inside me that I try to heal day after day, but as an infected wound bleed it and hurts.
“The past that changed and destroyed my career built year after year with victims, dedication, persistence and a lot of passion. … the career undervalued and reduced by those who preferred to laugh for a moment, preferred to throw the stone.”
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Angela Carini from Team Italy responds after leaving the women’s 66 kg preliminary round match against Iman Khelif of Team Algeria in the first round of day six of the Paris Olympic Games 2024 in North Paris Arena on August 1, 2024 in Paris, France. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
After Paris, Carini said she closed herself “in silence” with her family and “tried to rebuild [herself] In small pieces. “
Carini returned to the ring in December and won his eighth Italian title and gold at the World Boxing Cup in Poland.
“To put all the disappointment aside, I came back in that ring, confirmed myself as Italian champion and brought home medals home from important international tournaments,” Carini said. “Getting back in this ring was a tough challenge.”
“These words of me won’t change the world. I won’t make people become friendlier. But at least I invite everyone to reflect. … a word, a gesture, a command can hurt and destroy a person.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended the results of the Paris games and said that Khelif and another boxer facing concerns about gender eligibility were the victims of a “sudden and arbitrary decision from IBA.” Khelif has also publicly refused to be transgender.
In the International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev demanded in July that Khelif’s Olympic gold medal be removed in an attempt to achieve “transparency and openness.” Khelif was previously disqualified from IBA for failing to have a gender eligible test. Kremlev claimed at the time that unpublished DNA results showed that Khelif had XY chromosomes.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif, Right, defeated, Italy’s Angela Carini in their women’s 66 kg preliminary boxing match at Summer -Ol 2024, Thursday 1 August 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher)
World Boxing, the international governing body of boxing, announced a new policy in August introducing mandatory sex tests to ensure that only women compete in the women’s category. Khelif has appealed the new policy that will keep the athlete out of competitions pending the results of genetic testing.
Trump Earlier said there will be a “strong form of testing” when asked about potential genetic testing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics at a press conference on August 5th.
The new IOC President Kirsty Coventry has begun a task force to look at problems with gender eligibility.
