Khelif, representing Algeria, earned a win over Angela Carini in 46 seconds in Paris, France.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif, left, fights Italy’s Angela Carini in their women’s 66kg preliminary boxing matchAP

The controversy surrounding the Algerian boxer, Imane Khelif, continues to rage on at the 2024 Olympic Games as Riley Gaines weighs in by saying her fights are, “glorified male violence against women.”

Khelif, who was banned from a previous boxing competition after being told she has XY (male) chromosomes, has been permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) although the board has not revealed which categories were met.

Despite being born female, the Algerian welterweight is said to have unusually high testosterone as part of a disorder of sexual development, which can also cause women to have XY chromosomes too.

So Khelif has been very controversially received and she won her first fight under controversy too as Italy’s Angela Carini quit inside 46 seconds of the first round and Gaines, vocally against transwomen in female sports, has quickly reacted.

“After 46 seconds and a few hits to the face by a male, Carini forfeited the fight,” Gaines, who is opposed to trans athletes in sports, posted to X.com, formerly Twitter. “Call me crazy, but it’s almost as if women don’t want to be punched in the face by a male as the world watches and applauds.

“This is glorified male violence against women.”

Gaines added: “Carini broke down in tears and explained in an interview that she had never been hit so hard before. Heartbreaking. She’s a hero to all for backing out.”

Why did Carini quit the fight?

Khelif, who has nine losses through 54 fights, delivered two sharp punches to Carini‘s face within 30 seconds of the first round and immediately the Italian walked away to head to her corner and tried to fix her headgear.

The bout then resumed but Carini withdrew and handed Khelif the injury and said in the post-fight that she never felt a punch like the one her opponent has delivered before at the North Paris Arena in the 154lb weight category.

“I wasn’t able to finish the match,” Carini told BBC reporters. “I felt a strong pain to my nose, and I said [to myself] for the experience that I have and the maturity as a woman that I have, I said I hope my nation won’t take it badly.

John LocherAP

“I hope my dad won’t take it badly – but I stopped, I said stop for myself. It could have been the match of a lifetime, but I had to preserve my life as well in that moment.”

“I didn’t feel afraid, I don’t fear the ring. I don’t fear taking the blows. But this time there’s an end for everything, and I put an end to this match, because I wasn’t able to [continue].”