At the Olympics, the Italian cancelled a fight after the first blows from the Algerian boxer. She had previously been suspended by the IBA for non-compliance with the regulations

At the Paris Olympics, Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew from a fight with Algerian Iman Khelif after 46 seconds of the fight. Carini cried after the first blows and said that they were too strong. After the first blow, her chin guard shifted, the second hit her chin, and blood soaked her shorts, writes The Guardian. "I entered the ring to honor the memory of my father. I was told many times that I am a warrior, but I chose to stop for the sake of my health. I have never felt such a blow," the athlete said.

Khelif commented to the media: "I'm here for gold. I'll fight anyone, I'll fight everyone."

The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, expressed her concern about the incident: “Angela Carini rightly followed her instincts and prioritised her physical safety, but she and other athletes should not have been subjected to such physical and psychological violence based on their gender.”

In 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) suspended Khelif and Lin Yuting (Taiwan) during the World Championships in India for failing to meet the eligibility criteria. A gender test showed that the athletes had XY chromosomes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed them to compete in women's competitions in 2024. Khelif is not transgender, but has a disorder of sex development (DSD), which causes some women to have XY chromosomes, Reuters reported.

On the day of the fight, the IBA issued a statement that Iman Khelif and another boxer previously banned from international competition by the International Boxing Association "were not tested for testosterone levels but were instead given a separate, recognised test, the details of which remain confidential."