A lip reader has disclosed their interpretation of what boxer Angela Carini might have said when she exited the Olympic ring against Imane Khelif after just 46 seconds.
On 1 August, Italy’s Angela Carini entered the boxing ring at the 2024 Paris Olympics to compete against Algeria’s Imane Khelif in the women’s 66kg category. However, Carini chose to leave the match in less than a minute.
After exchanging only a few punches and having her headgear dislodged, Carini became emotional and decided to walk away without shaking her opponent’s hand, even after Khelif was declared the winner.
Carini later explained her decision, stating she stopped because she simply ‘couldn’t fight anymore’.
She elaborated: “I put an end to the match because after the second blow, after years of experience in the ring and a life of fighting, I felt a strong pain in my nose.”
“I said ‘that’s enough’ because […] I could not bring the match to an end. So I thought, maybe it’s better to put an end to the match.”
A lip reader has since indicated what they believe Carini said immediately after deciding to withdraw from the fight, just before stepping out of the ring.
According to a lip-reader consulted by Gazzetta dello Sport, after Carini was punched by Khelif, she briefly paused because of an issue with her helmet.
She then raised her hand, returned to her corner, and chose to leave the fight.
Reportedly, she turned to her corner’s support team and said: “It hurt like hell.”
The match has come under intense scrutiny online due to Khelif’s prior disqualification from last year’s IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi—organized by the International Boxing Association—for failing a testosterone level test, as stated on IBA’s website.
However, it has not been publicly disclosed what the test involved, and no further details have been provided, according to the BBC.
Additionally, the International Olympic Committee issued a statement: “All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations in accordance with rules 1.4 and 3.1 of the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit.”
Mark Adams, an IOC spokesperson, emphasized: “These boxers are entirely eligible – they are women on their passports. It’s not helpful to start stigmatising people like this.”
“We all have a responsibility not to turn it into some kind of witch-hunt.”