VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Imane Khelif of Algeria won her opening Olympic boxing bout when opponent Angela Carini of Italy quit after just 46 seconds. 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 exchanged only a few punches before Carini walked away. Her headgear apparently became dislodged before she quit. Carini didn’t shake Khelif’s hand after the decision was announced but cried in the ring. Afterward, she said she quit because of intense pain in her nose after the opening punches. She said she wasn’t making a political statement and wasn't refusing to fight Khelif.
Algeria boxer Imane Khelif wins first Olympic fight when opponent Angela Carini quits
Themba Hadebe/AP
FILE - Imane Khelif, of Algeria, right, delivers a punch to Mariem Homrani Ep Zayani, of Turkey, during their women's light weight 60kg preliminary boxing match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 30, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
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