Angela Carini has apologized to Imane Khelif and her team after ending their boxing match after only 46 seconds.
Khelif, a 25-year-old woman representing Algeria, has been the center of controversy after competing in the women's 66kg light welterweight division against Italy’s Carini at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The bout ended after approximately 46 seconds when Carini brought it to a halt after taking a few devastating blows to the face.
The Italian boxer fell to her knees crying allegedly stating "It's not fair", before refusing to shake her opponent's hand after it was confirmed that she would not be advancing to the next round.
The lack of sportsmanship from Carini was seemingly investigated by social media users and later led to the victimization of Khelif thanks to misinformation about her gender spread online.
Mark Adams, the chief spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee, spoke out about this widespread "misinformation" at a news conference on August 2 as per the New York Times, stating that Khelif is an eligible athlete and has also added that she is not transgender, despite all the rumors swirling about her.
The hate got so intense that Kelif's father was forced to speak out to defend his daughter, stating that she was born a woman and has always competed in women's boxing.
Childhood photos of the star were also released as an attempt to emphasize that she had not undergone any transition, and this was just a vicious rumor spread online relating to transphobia as well as other factors related to the perceived femininity of women of color.
Now, Carini has spoken out after seeing all the backlash against her former opponent, offering her an apology for not shaking her hand after the match.
"My face and nose were hurting," Carini said, according to the Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport via NBC. “I couldn’t breathe anymore. I thought about my family, I looked at my brother in the stands and I went to my corner to retire. ...I’ve never been hit with such a powerful punch."
The boxer added that not shaking Khelif's hand was not a pre-meditated move.
"It wasn’t something I intended to do,” Carini continued. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke. I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her.
"All this controversy makes me sad,” she added. "I’m sorry for my opponent, too. … If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision."
It comes after the Algerian athlete spoke out about the bullying she was experiencing after her first match against Carini.
Speaking to the SNTV, she said she had a message for the people of the world.
"I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles and the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes, because this has effects, massive effects," Khelif said in Arabic in an interview with SNTV, according to the Associated Press.
"It can destroy people, it can kill people’s thoughts, spirit, and mind. It can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying," she added.
Khelif has secured herself a position on the podium, she just has to fight for what color she will receive in the end.
We wish her the best of luck on the rest of her Olympic journey.
