The 2024 Paris Olympics was a wild ride for boxing. Algerian female boxer Imane Khelif clinched gold in the women’s 66 kg division despite becoming a target of hate and widespread misinformation campaign online. And now, two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields has suggested that one of Imane’s opponents, Angela Carini, in the Paris Games, was “soft” for complaining after their fight. Let’s start things from the top.

After being disqualified from the World Championships last year for failing an unspecified gender identity test, the IOC permitted the 25-year-old boxer to compete in this year’s games because she was born a biological female. However, the hate began after she defeated Angela Carini of Italy in the round of 16, where Carini quit 46 seconds into the fight, claiming that Khelif’s punches impacted her more than ever before.

Soon popular internet personalities began hitting out at the IOC over Khelif’s participation in the women’s category, claiming that the IOC was allowing a biological man to fight a female boxer. This included celebrities like Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling, Elon Musk, and even former President Donald Trump. Interestingly, even Claressa Shields had initially joined the chorus against Khelif, writing, “Women should fight against women, men fight against men and transgenders fight against transgenders,” adding Khelif fighting women was “ridiculous” and that she was “heartbroken” for the women competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

However, after realizing she had been the victim of misinformation on social media, Claressa Shields appeared in an interview with TMZ Sports to state, “I wish I would’ve [done] my research before, because now I couldn’t imagine being at the Olympics, winning these fights.” She added, “I just feel really bad about that, and I want to clear it up on my end that I have found out that these two women were born women, and I don’t know what this testosterone stuff is about.”

Following her win, Khelif filed a lawsuit in France against J. K. Rowling, Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and everyone else who attacked her on social media while she was competing in the games. Meanwhile, Shields appeared in The Breakfast Club Podcast, where she seems to have turned her criticism stick on Angela Carini of Italy.

Reflecting on the entire fiasco, Shields suggested that everyone was trapped in the vicious cycle of misinformation, and claimed, “she’s right to sue whoever” started the misinformation about her. Shields said, “Yeah girl, get that money,” reacting to Khelif suing Musk and Rowling for their posts about her gender. She also congratulated the Algerian for winning gold. 

However, when she turned to Carini, Shields didn’t have very nice things to say about the Italian boxer, stating, “But to the girl who [was] like, ‘Oh she hit me harder than I’ve ever been hit before’. Soft. Soft.” 

Shields didn’t stop there, as she asked Carini to retire from the sport altogether, stating, “Hang it up, you shouldn’t even be in the ring. I spar against men. I ain’t never been hit that hard, where I’m like ‘Let me get the hell up out of here’. Ever. And I’ve been hit to where I couldn’t chew for three days with, like, a hook.” Regardless, even Carini had apologized to Khelif after the hate campaign began and revealed that she felt sad for her opponent. 

Angela Carini reveals why she refused to shake hands after the Imane Khelif fight

According to a report, Angela Carini issued a heartfelt apology to Imane Khelif after their Olympic boxing match. Carini, who was pretty bummed about the short fight, said, “All this drama definitely got me down, and I also felt bad for my opponent. She didn’t do anything wrong and, like me, was just here to fight.” 

She explained that not shaking Khelif’s hand was just a result of her frustration and not a comment on Khelif herself. “It wasn’t intentional at all, and I’m really sorry to her and everyone else,” Carini added. “If I run into her again, I’d definitely give her a hug.” Carini’s apology highlights the personal toll of the controversy surrounding Imane Khelif, who’s been facing unwanted attention over her gender and biological status.

Having said that, Claressa Shields seems to have also become a victim of misinformation, just like most others. While she has corrected her mistake and withdrawn her statements about Khelif, her recent statements show the change of tide that has occurred in the minds of many about the entire fiasco. What do you think about it?