Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has stood by Italian boxer Angela Carini following her defeat on Thursday in the Paris Olympics 2024 by Algerian fighter Imane Khelif. Carini withdrew from the match after being punched multiple times in the face, ending it in 46 seconds.
Following her defeat, the Italian fighter sobbed in the middle of the ring. She didn’t shake hands with Khelif, who advanced to the category’s quarterfinals after the match.
Musk retweeted an X post from American swimmer Riley Gaines, who wrote, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports. #IStandWithAngelaCarini.”
“Absolutely,” Musk responded in a retweet of Gaines’ original comment.
Absolutely https://t.co/twccUEOW9e
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2024
In another post, Musk dared Kamala Harris to comment on the controversy. “Kamala Harris supports this… Vote accordingly,” an X user wrote to which Musk replied, “True or let her deny it.”
True or let her deny it https://t.co/z3OulP5eKJ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 1, 2024
Italy’s Prime Minister Georgian Meloni also reacted to Angela Carini’s defeat and said that it “was not an even contest”.
“I have a big pain in my nose and I said, ‘Stop’. It’s better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping (with blood) from the first hit,” Carini said.
Khelif was cleared to take part in the Olympics despite getting disqualified from the 2023 women’s world championships after she reportedly failed the gender eligibility tests.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s decision to permit Khelif to compete has led to criticism from former female boxing champions, including Claressa Shields and Ebanie Bridges.
The IOC allowed two boxers to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics despite failing the gender eligibility tests for the World Boxing Championships last year.
In 2023, the Algerian boxer suffered disqualification hours before the gold medal match at the women’s World Championships. Khelif was reportedly disqualified for a high level of testosterone in her system.
Get the Latest News Updates and Stay Informed with FELA NEWS!
