Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's recent victory has been engulfed by questions over her eligibility to compete against female boxers at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Last night's bout was lightning-fast, with Khelif landing a barrage of punches against opponent Angela Carini, leading the Italian to abandon the match after 46 seconds.
Carini said after the match that she was forced to quit due to "severe pain in my nose, and with the maturity of a boxer, I said 'enough'... I couldn't finish the match".
She also clarified that she had not bowed out based on gender issues nor was she passing judgement on Khelif's eligibility to fight.
However, the Algerian's win has been overshadowed by allegations she is not a female and failed gender eligibility testing last year.
Italy's Angela Carini cried in the middle of the ring as she tapped out of the match. Her Alegerian opponent Imane Khelif then approached her and gave her a pat on the back but Carini quickly exited the ring. Source: AAP / John Locher / AP
Who is Imane Khelif?
The 25-year-old has been boxing since she was a child in all-female competitions.
She is an accomplished amateur boxer, having previously competed in the Women's World Boxing Champions in New Delhi in 2019 and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where she reached the quarterfinals.
Khelif won a silver medal at the 2022 Women's World Champions in Istanbul.
Why are there questions about her gender identity?
Khelif is being accused of having excessive testosterone, with some going as far as calling her a man online, which critics argue could give her a dangerous advantage in a combat sport.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended its decision to allow both Khelif and Taiwan's double-world champion Lin Yu-Ting, who is also facing similar questions, to compete in the Paris Games.
Neither athletes have publicly identified as transgender or intersex.
The IOC said the eligibility rules were based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and were saddened by the aggression towards the two athletes.
"These boxers are completely eligible. They are women on their passports, they are women who have competed in the Tokyo Olympics and have been competing for many years. I think we all have a responsibility to tone it down and not turn it into a witch hunt,” said IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said on Tuesday.
Amy Broadhurst, who beat Khelif at 2022 World Championships, threw her support behind the boxer.
"Personally, I don't think she has done anything to 'cheat'," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"I think it's the way she was born and that's out of her control… the fact that she has been [beaten] by nine females before says it all."
Why was she disqualified in 2023?
In March 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) found Khelif and Yu-ting failed the eligibility criteria to participate in the women's competition and disqualified them from the year's World Championships.
Without revealing details, they concluded that "both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors".
Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women's competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.
However, the IBA noted that the athletes "did not undergo a testosterone examination" and were instead subjected to separated and recognised testing.
The IOC said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has seen people like British author JK Rowling and billionaire Elon Musk voice their opposition to them competing in the Games.
"These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA," the IOC said in a statement. "Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
The IBA was stripped of its recognition by the IOC last year due to allegations of corruption, financial issues and questions over governance. As a result, the Olympic body has been forced to run the boxing competition in Paris.
With additional reporting from the Reuters news agency.
