WOMAN BOXER AT HEART OF GENDER ROW WINS BOUT IN 46S

IMANE Khelif of Algeria won her opening boxing bout on Thursday when opponent Angela Carini of Italy quit after just 46 seconds.

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Khelif was disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing an unspecified gender eligibility test, and her presence at the Paris Olympics has become a divisive issue.

Carini and Khelif had only a few punch exchanges before Carini abandoned the bout, an extremely unusual occurrence in Olympic boxing. Carini's headgear apparently became dislodged twice before she quit, and an emotional Carini didn't shake Khelif's hand after the decision was announced, but cried in the ring on her knees.

Afterward, a tearful Carini said that she quit because of intense pain in her nose after the opening punches. Carini, who had a spot of blood on her trunks, said she wasn't making a political statement and was not refusing to fight Khelif.

Carini further said she is not qualified to judge whether Khelif should be allowed to compete but had no problem fighting Khelif. Khelif is an accomplished amateur who won a silver medal at the International Boxing Association's 2022 world championships.