A professional lip reader revealed on Wednesday what Italian boxer Angela Carini said after being struck by the first punch from Algerian Eman Khalif last Thursday, before she withdrew from the match just 46 seconds later. Khalif surpassed Carini and then Ana Luca Hamouri in the quarterfinals, and on Tuesday evening, she reached the final boxing match after winning against Thai boxer Jan Jam Suanping.
The lip reader reported to "La Gazzetta dello Sport" that after receiving Khalif's first punch, Angela Carini turned towards her corner and said, "It hurts a lot." After receiving the second punch from Khalif, Carini withdrew from the match just 46 seconds in, stating that her withdrawal was a "maturity" decision rather than a surrender.
Angela apologized to Khalif after generating controversy immediately following the match. The day after, she told "La Gazzetta dello Sport," "The current controversy makes me very sad, and I feel sorry for my opponent, especially since the International Olympic Committee confirmed that she could compete in the women's championship, and I respect that decision."
She added, "I did not plan to attack Eman in my statements after our match, and I want to apologize to her and everyone. I was just angry because my opponent's chances at the Olympics vanished, and if I saw her now, I would hug her."
