Algerian boxer Imane Kherif advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s 66kg division on Thursday after her opponent withdrew just 46 seconds into the bout.
Kheriff faced Italian boxer Angela Carini, who said she had received the hardest punch she had ever received in her career and decided to accept defeat.
Kherif has previously come under fire for being deemed to have XY chromosomes, with the Algerian fighter banned from taking part in last year’s IBA World Championships because he did not meet gender requirements.
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Imane Kherif of Algeria, right, and Angela Carini of Italy, right, are photographed after a match in Paris on August 1, 2024. (Reuters/Isabel Infantes)
The Algerian boxer will face Hungary’s Anna-Luka Hamori on Saturday, who said she is the first Hungarian to box at the Olympic Games. New York Post.
But despite the controversy, the headlines and what many see as a biological disadvantage, Hamori isn’t worried.
“I’m not scared. I don’t care about the press or social media,” she told reporters, according to The Washington Post. “If she or he were a man, it would be a bigger win for me if I won.”
Hamori and Kheriff have never sparred, but they have competed in the same tournaments, and Hamori has repeatedly said he is not concerned about the controversy because it will only hinder his quest for the gold medal.
“I try not to use my phone before a match,” Hamori said. “I don’t want to worry about the comments, the articles, the news. I just want to focus on myself. I’ve done that before my last two matches, so I think that’s going to be the key. We’ll see how it goes.”
Anna-Luka Hamori of the Hungarian team reacts after winning against Grainne Walsh of the Irish team at the 2024 Paris Olympics on July 28, 2024. (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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Hamoli also questioned Kalini’s decision to withdraw from the fight against Khelif.
“It was her choice,” Hamori said. “I don’t understand it, because I thought all boxers have the heart like me to never give up. But it was her choice. I don’t know why. It’s her life, but I know I want to do this with my life.”
Kheriff celebrated the win, while Carini was in tears and after the match he shouted in Italian at his coaches, questioning the fairness of the match.
“I got in the ring to fight,” she said. According to the Italian news agency ANSA“I didn’t give up, but one punch hurt me, so I decided that was enough. I’m going to walk out with my head held high.”
The International Boxing Association announced that Kheriff and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting did not meet gender eligibility criteria for the 2023 world championships.
IBA president Umar Kremlyov explained the decision at the time, according to Russia’s TASS news agency. Reuters reported at the time that tests had shown that Heriff and Lin had high testosterone levels. Kremlyov also said that “they both have XY chromosomes.”
The IBA added on Wednesday that tests had shown Kheriff “has a competitive advantage over other female athletes.”
Kherif and the Algerian Olympic Committee have denied claims that he has XY chromosomes.
Algeria’s Imane Kherif (right) defeats Italy’s Angela Carini during a match at the Summer Olympics in Paris on August 1, 2024. (AP Photo/John Rocker)
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The International Olympic Committee, which also cleared Kherif to compete in the Summer Olympics, defended him in a statement on Thursday: “These two athletes are victims of the IBA’s sudden and arbitrary decision. They were suddenly disqualified without due process, towards the end of the 2023 IBA World Championships.”
Fox News reporter Ryan Gaydas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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