An Italian boxer abandoned her bout at the Paris Olympics after only 46 seconds on Thursday, refusing to continue after taking a heavy punch from an Algerian opponent who had been disqualified from last year’s world championships over questions about her eligibility to compete in women’s sports.
The Italian boxer, Angela Carini, withdrew after her Algerian opponent, Imane Khelif, landed a powerful blow that struck Carini square in the face. Carini paused for a moment, then turned her back to Khelif and walked to her corner. Her coaches quickly signaled that she would not continue, and the referee stopped the fight.
Khelif, 25, was permitted to compete at the Olympics even though she had been banned last year after boxing officials said she did not meet eligibility requirements to compete in a women’s event. Another athlete also banned from last year’s world championships under similar circumstances, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, has also been cleared to fight in Paris.