Former swimmer Riley Gaines hit out at Kamala Harris for refusing to address the Olympic boxing gender controversy. The debate surrounding Algerian Imane Khelif’s win over Italian Angela Carini has spread far and wide, with Gaines now insisting support for the candidate in the upcoming election represents a “vote against your daughter’s future.”
On Thursday, Khelif defeated the Italian in the 66-kilogram weight class. The fight lasted just 46 seconds before Carini went to her cornermen to call off the fight.
Back in 2023, Khelif failed a gender eligibility test, despite being a biological female. As a result, she – along with Lin Yu-Ting – was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships, which is sanctioned by the International Boxing Association.
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“Crickets from Kamala, crickets from the women at ‘The View.’ And if I could implore you, a vote for Kamala is a vote against your daughter’s future,” the former University of Kentucky swimmer, who previously competed against transgender athlete Lia Thomas, said on Fox News.
“I see lots of people on social media saying they’ll be voting for Kamala because she is a woman. Well, let me tell you, Jesse [Waters], I will be voting for Trump because I am a woman.”
After the fight, images of Carini went viral as she cried in the ring. Gaines shared a clip of Khelif crushing Carini on X along with the caption: “Call me crazy, but It’s almost as if women don’t want to be punched in the face by a male as the world watches and applauds.
“This is glorified male violence against women.”
Amid the outcry regarding the controversial bout, the IOC issued a statement that began: “Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination.” It added: “We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
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“These two athletes were the victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA. Towards the end of the IBA World Championships in 2023, they were suddenly disqualified without any due process.
“According to the IBA minutes available on their website, this decision was initially taken solely by the IBA Secretary General and CEO.
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“The current aggression against these two athletes is based entirely on this arbitrary decision, which was taken without any proper procedure – especially considering that these athletes had been competing in top-level competition for many years. Such an approach is contrary to good governance.”
Carini also has gone on record stating how badly she feels regarding the controversy. “Actually, I want to apologize to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke,” adding she would “embrace” her Algerian opponent if given the opportunity.
* Original Article:
https://www.the-express.com/sport/boxing/145020/Kamala-Harris-Riley-Gaines-Olympics-boxing-Khelif/amp
