J.K. Rowling has stepped into the conversation regarding an Italian boxer who abandoned her match against an opponent that previously failed a gender test. The author, renowned for the Harry Potter series, has garnered controversy in recent years for her outspoken views against trans rights while advocating for women’s rights.
Taking to X, Rowling shared her thoughts following the fight, which ended in less than a minute: “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”
Italy’s Angela Carini left the ring after only 46 seconds due to a suspected broken nose, following her controversial bout against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who had failed a gender test at last year’s World Championships.
Khelif was disqualified from competing in a gold medal match in Delhi due to elevated testosterone levels but was allowed to participate in the Olympics. Prior to the match, the Algerian Olympic Committee condemned the negative media coverage surrounding their athlete, issuing a statement that emphasized their support for Khelif.
The committee stated, “COA strongly condemns the unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets. Such attacks on her personality and dignity are deeply unfair, especially as she prepares for the pinnacle of her career at the Olympics.”
During the match, Carini received a punch to the face, immediately walked to her corner, and signaled her intent to stop, refusing to shake Khelif’s hand afterward. In the mixed zone following the fight, Carini expressed her desire to “honor her father” but admitted, “I have never been punched so hard.”
Khelif is one of two boxers competing in the Olympics despite their previous disqualification from last year’s Women’s World Championships over eligibility concerns. Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting was also stripped of a bronze medal but is allowed to compete in these Games.
The IOC defended their decision to permit both athletes to fight, asserting that all boxers in the competition meet the necessary eligibility requirements.
Credit: Joe Sports
