Gold medal-winning British boxer Nicola Adams has slammed the ‘unfair and dangerous’ decision to allow Algerian boxer Imane Khelif to fight in the Olympics.
A massive row broke out at the Paris games this week after Khelif, who is believed to have lived since birth as a female, fought Italian rival Angela Carini in a bout that lasted just 46 seconds.
The 25-year-old, one of two athletes thrown out of last year’s world championships in New Delhi after failing to meet gender eligibility criteria, is now eyeing up a medal after progressing to the quarter-finals.
Taking to social media on Friday morning, Ms Adams wrote: ‘I stand with Angela Carini.
‘After years of fighting for women’s boxing to even exist in the Olympics and then all the training they go through to get there it was hard to watch another fighter be forced [to] give up on her Olympic dreams.
Team GB’s boxing star Nicola Adams, who won gold in London 2012, made the statement on social media on Friday morning
A massive row broke out at the Paris games this week after Khelif (left), who has lived since birth as a female, fought Italian rival Angela Carini in a bout that lasted just 46 seconds
‘People not born as biological women, that have been through male puberty should not be able to complete [sic] in women’s sport. Not only is this unfair it’s dangerous!’
It comes after the boxer, who won gold for Team GB in London 2012, posted on X last night stating: ‘I’m about to say something’.
Thursday’s fight between Carini and Khelif, both 25, has caused controversy after the Italian – ranked 54 in the world – conceded after less than a minute.
During the fight, Carini was hit twice, suffered a suspected broken nose and barely threw a punch before telling her corner: ‘It’s not fair.’ She then sank to her knees, beat the canvas in frustration and refused to shake Khelif’s hand.
After the one-sided 66kg category bout ended Carini said she quit the bout to ‘save my life’.
Olympic bosses quickly defended Khelif, slamming the ‘aggression’ and ‘discrimination’ from critics.
Khelif, who has previously spoken about her battle to get into boxing from an impoverished village in Algeria, shared the statement on social media and wrote: ‘Praise be to God. Divine justice.’
The row follows the revelation Khelif failed an unspecified gender test last year.
During the 46-second fight Carini was hit twice, suffered a suspected broken nose and barely threw a punch
Khelif (pictured front right) was born with DSD and raised as a girl in an impoverished family
Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were are believed to be impacted by DSD, also sometimes known as being intersex, and were disqualified from an event over gender tests last year. Both are competing at this year's Olympics.
According to the United Nations, up to 1.7 percent of people are born with intersex traits.
Their inclusion has sparked division with supporters pointing out Khelif was raised as a girl.
Former world champion Amy Broadhurst tweeted: 'Personally I don't think she has done anything to 'cheat'. I thinks it's the way she was born and that's out of her control.'
Speaking after the match, Carini said: 'I'm used to suffering. I've never taken a punch like that, it's impossible to continue. I'm nobody to say it's illegal.
'I got into the ring to fight. But I didn't feel like it anymore after the first minute. I started to feel a strong pain in my nose. I didn't give up, but a punch hurt too much and so I said enough. I'm leaving with my head held high.'
She said she did not walk away from the fight as a protest against her opponent's inclusion, but that was a decision for the Olympics to consider.
Gender critics were quick to slam Khelif's participation, claiming she was an example of 'men revelling in their power over women'.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'Watch this then explain why you're OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn't sport.
Nicola Adams (left) says she 'stands with' the Italian boxer mid the furore surrounding Thursday's fight
The controversial clash in the ring was over in less than a minute with the Algerian fighter clinching the victory
Carini (right) refused to shake her opponent's hand after being declared the loser of the fight
'From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organisers who allowed this to happen, this is men revelling in their power over women.'
The International Boxing Association, which carried out the tests, released a statement that said neither were tested for testosterone.
A spokesperson said: 'On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023.
'This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations.
'This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.
'Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential.
'This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.'
