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Martina Navratilova furious after Italian boxer abandons fight against controversial athlete Imane Khelif at Paris Olympics

Martina Navratilova was left furious as controversy ensued at the 2024 Paris Olympics when Italy's Angel Carini abandoned her boxing bout against Algeria's Imane Khelif. The Algerian boxer failed a gender test last year at the World Championships but was eligible to compete at the Olympics.

Khelif's bout against Mexican Brianda Tamara from 2022 went viral just days before her first Olympics fight. Tamara was left bruised from the beatdown, and she lost the fight easily. Moreover, Khelif's ineligibility to fight at the 2023 World Championships also came to light.

The Algerian was removed from the gold medal bout as she failed a gender test. The IBA (International Boxing Association) President stated she had XY chromosomes in her DNA. Khelif, however, called it a 'conspiracy' against Algeria.

The IBA does not govern boxing at the Olympics though, and the IOC has allowed Khelif to compete in the women's 66kg category. Italy's Angel Carini took on Khelif in the first round on Thursday, August 1.

Within 30 seconds of the fight, Carini went to her coach to get her headgear fixed, and just a few seconds after returning to the fight, Carini abandoned the bout and left the ring. She said afterwards (via The Guardian):

“I’m a mature woman. The ring is my life. I’ve always been very instinctive. And when I feel that something isn’t right, it’s not giving up. It’s having the maturity to stop. It’s having the maturity to say: ‘OK, that’s enough.’”

Martina Navratilova is a strong advocate for the exclusion of transgender athletes from women's sports. She took to X to repost an update about Carini's abandonment against Khelif and wrote:

"Deplorable. This will not end well for the people in power who allowed this to happen."

"This is on all officials at the IOC" - Martina Navratilova condemns authorities for letting Imane Khelif compete at Paris Olympics

Martina Navratilova - Getty Images
Martina Navratilova - Getty Images

Martina Navratilova posted multiple times about the controversy that ensued in the women's 66kg boxing event at the Paris Olympics. She reposted videos of the incident and condemned the authorities for allowing Algeria's Imane Khelif at the marquee sports event.

She reposted an update which read:

"Shame on everyone who allowed this to happen and finally, shame on those of you who have the audacity to defend why this should happen. This isn’t women’s sport, this is a disgrace. #SaveWomensSport #Paris2024"

Navratilova also wrote:

"This is on all officials and people in power at the IOC- from the top down- you did this. Hope you’re proud."

Notably, another boxer who failed the gender test at the 2023 World Championships will be participating in the Paris Olympics. Lin Yu‑ting of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), who was stripped of her bronze medal last year, will face Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan in the women's 57kg category on Friday, August 2.

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