A fiery clash through the media has erupted between two prominent members of Italy’s women’s national boxing team. The protagonists are Irma Testa and Angela Carini, both participants in the recent Paris 2024 Olympics, where the Italian boxing squad returned home empty-handed, sparking widespread disappointment.
Angela Carini exited the tournament in the first round, retiring just seconds into the opening round because, according to her, the punches from her opponent, Imane Khelif, “hurt too much.” Her withdrawal triggered significant controversy, as many linked it to allegations that the Algerian boxer did not meet gender requirements to compete in the women’s tournament.
The public has been sharply divided: some staunchly defended Carini, seeing her withdrawal as a rightful protest against an unfair competitive disadvantage, while others strongly criticized her conduct, deeming it contrary to the principles of fair play and the unwritten rules of boxing, which demand courage in the face of adversity.
The spark between Angela Carini and her national teammates was lit by Carini herself. In an interview with Repubblica, she accused the other members of the Italian team of not supporting her when she needed it most. These were Carini’s comments, which evidently did not sit well with Irma Testa and the rest of the Olympic squad:
“I wouldn’t single anyone out, but I’ll talk about team unity. No one reached out to help me. That doesn’t surprise me, but they know perfectly well who the real Angela is—a fighter who battles in the ring and never backs down. But none of them offered a word of encouragement, and that hurt me the most. These are people who are no longer part of my life.”
Irma Testa, who was also eliminated in the first round after a razor-thin points loss to China’s Zincun Xu, didn’t take long to respond. Her reaction came in the form of a scathing post on social media:
“I’ll just say this: when we arrived in Paris, there were five of us in one room, but she had her room changed after two seconds and went to stay alone. Too superior to stay with us? We never saw her; she never dined or had lunch with us. The only time she asked for help was after her match—to pack her bags because she was too tired from interviews to return to the village with us mere mortals. I’m sorry, Angela. We would have helped you, and maybe if you had spent more time with us, we could have spared you the embarrassment you caused yourself and all of Italy on a global stage. WE, the National Team, have always been a family—for better or worse, with our likes and dislikes. If you had truly been part of it, you’d know that dirty laundry is washed within the family.”
Relations between the two boxers now seem irreparably damaged, and judging by their statements, it appears that the rest of the Italian squad shares Testa’s views. We’ll see in the coming days if other members of the ill-fated Olympic campaign weigh in on the matter.