Angela Carini, the Olympic boxer who quit 46 seconds into her fight with Imane Khelif , will receive prize money as if she had won the gold medal, it has been announced.
The International Boxing Association confirmed it would be paying out $50,000 to Carini, the amount she would have received had she gone on to claim the gold. The same will be paid to Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan, who lost to Lin Yu-Ting from China on Friday.
Both Yu-Ting and Khelif have seen their participation in Paris shrouded in controversy, having previously been banned from competing due to failing gender tests. The two were both born female, and neither has transitioned or given any indication they wish to transition.
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Yu-Ting and Khelif's tests, which came before the 2023 World Championships, flagged high levels of testosterone, which meant they failed to meet the eligibility criteria. Both were banned from competing.
The International Olympic Committee , however, saw no issue with them taking part, and the've both looked impressive at the Paris games so far. But controversy erupted on Thursday when Khelif beat Carini in 46 seconds, with the Italian choosing to quit after claiming she'd never been punched so hard.
Despite exiting the competition, IBA President Umar Kremlev stated she would be paid generously. In a statement, Kremlev said: "I couldn’t look at her tears.
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"I am not indifferent to such situations, and I can assure that we will protect each boxer. I do not understand why they kill women’s boxing. Only eligible athletes should compete in the ring for the sake of safety."
Carini had initially spoken out against Khelif, after refusing to shake her hand, stating she felt it was unfair she'd had to face someone who had previously been banned.
"All this controversy makes me sad," she said. "I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision." Carini then added: "[Not shaking hands] wasn’t something I intended to do. Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke."
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