Imane Khelif has issued a defiant message to her rivals at the Paris 2024 Olympics after forcing her opponent to quit just 46 seconds into their fight.

The 25-year-old is competing in the women’s 66kg competition and made it through to the quarter-finals following her victory against Italy’s Angela Carini.

The bout was shrouded in controversy, however, as Carini decided to quit, reportedly claiming “it’s not right” to her corner after Khelif was cleared to compete at the Games.

Khelif was cleared to compete in the women’s boxing category despite being disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Championships before her gold medal bout, after failing to meet the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) eligibility criteria.

It was revealed she had failed testosterone and gender eligibility tests, but Khelif was allowed to participate in the women’s category at the Olympics and launched into a barrage of punches early on. Carini, whose headgear came unattached, decided to stop the fight on her own terms.

When Khelif was announced as the winner, Carini refused to shake her hand and the Italian could be seen crying in the ring before leaving. Immediately after the fight, the 25-year-old spoke out about her victory.

Khelif refused to stop for long in the interview area after the fight, but the Algerian left with a defiant statement for her critics: “I am here for gold. I’ll fight anyone.”

Imane added as she left the ring: “God willing, this was the first victory. God is willing me to be the golden one.”

The Algerian Boxing Federation also offered its congratulations to their Olympian on Facebook after the fight and issued a statement condemning perceived “lies” and “unethical targeting and maligning of our esteemed athlete, Imane Khelif, with baseless propaganda from certain foreign media outlets.”

But an emotional Carini was left fearing for her safety after claiming she had never sustained punches like she had during the fight.

“It hurt so much. I am heartbroken. I went to the ring to honour my father,” said Carini. “I was told a lot of times that I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.

“After the second blow, and after years of experience in the ring and a lifetime of fighting, I felt extreme pain in my nose.”

Khelif will now face Luca Anne Hamori of Hungary in the quarter-finals as she looks to bring home the gold for the African nation.

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