Trans athletes on Friday (August 2) expressed sadness and disappointment after an Olympic win by Algerian women's boxer Imane Khelif over Italy's Angela Carini after Carini forfeited mid-match sparked a gender row over who can compete in women's events.

Khelif won her round of 16 welterweight fight on Thursday (August 1) against Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds and has been in the spotlight of the gender row after being cleared to compete in the Olympics.

Khelif, like Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting who also won her round of 16 duel on Friday, had been disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes competing in women's events.

READ: Explaining the Olympic boxing gender scandal

Khelif's win has attracted international attention, with people mistakenly identifying her as transgender and drew hate towards the Algerian athlete, said Maro Bah-Villemagne, a French trans man boxer.

"They’re picking the wrong fight. Yes, there’s the question of trans people in sport, but you have to know that Imane Khelif is an athlete who was born biologically female," Bah-Villemagne told Reuters.

The sentiment was echoed by former Olympic canoeist and trans woman Sandra Forgues, who said the issue was brought up by people who want to discourage intersex and trans athletes from competing in high-level sports competitions.

The boxing competition in Paris is run by the International Olympic Committee after it stripped the IBA's international recognition in 2023 over governance and finance issues, and the IOC has said Khelif and Lin have every right to compete in Paris.

Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women's competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.

Differences of Sexual Disorder are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.

“There are rules in place, as long as they are respected and as long as everyone is aware of them, there should not be an issue," Pride House Paris President Jeremy Goupille said.

(Production: Ben Makori, Ardee Napolitano)