It was already the subject of plenty of debate and now, after just 45 seconds and a single punch, the boxing world’s divide is only set to grow even wider.
It comes after Imane Khelif, who along with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting was disqualified from the world championships last year, won her Round of 16 bout in stunning fashion.
The International Olympic Committee generated debate with its decision to allow the two boxers who failed testosterone and gender eligibility tests at the 2023 world championships to compete in Paris.
Khelif, a woman, won her fight on Thursday in swift fashion, landing a right hand early and went to capitalise with a flurry of punches, only for Italy’s Angela Carini to raise her hand to have her headgear checked.
She then talked to her coaches and shortly after returned to the centre of ring, where again Khelif landed a big right hand.
Then, in a shocking twist, Carini raised her glove once more and this time to withdraw from the fight before falling to the floor in tears.
Carini said post-fight: “I have never been hit so hard in my life. It’s up to the IOC to judge.”
Meanwhile Carini’s coach said: “I don’t know if her nose is broken. I have to speak with the girl. But many people in Italy tried to call and tell her: ‘Don’t go please: it’s a man, it’s dangerous for you.
“She felt pain in the nose and said to me I don’t want to fight anymore.”
