Trump, Musk react to massive gender row at Olympics after Italian woman boxer bows out

Khelif’s lightning-quick win over the Italian, who decided to pull out after a barrage of punches by the Algerian, piled more pressure on the IOC for allowing them to box in Paris

The Olympic bout between Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Italy’s Angela Carini has sparked global outrage among high-profile figures such as former US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Khelif was declared the winner after Carini surrendered just 46 seconds into the welterweight fight, having taken multiple punches to the face. Hitting out at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after Carini’s Round of 16 fight in Paris, the Italian PM said, “It is a fact that, with the levels of testosterone present in the blood of the Algerian athlete, the competition at the start does not seem fair.”

“We must be careful not to discriminate in an attempt to avoid discrimination.” “The fact that Angela withdrew makes me even more sad,” she continued. In a social media post, the Republican presidential nominee and his running mate JD Vance echoed similar sentiments. The IOC defended its decision to allow two female boxers to compete at the Paris Olympics despite a gender row, saying the pair were facing “aggression” because of an arbitrary decision.

“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA,” the IOC said in a statement. “Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process. “According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO.”

The IOC said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has seen people like British author J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk voice their opposition to them competing in the Games. Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer and advocate for women’s single-sex spaces, voiced her support for Carini on X, saying, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports #IStandWithAngelaCarini.”