Lin Yu-Ting, a Taiwanese boxer, has been thrust into the middle of a gender eligibility debate following her disqualification from the 2023 Women's World Championships. Amidst the controversy, Lin is set to face Uzbekistan's Sitora Turdibekova in the Paris Olympics.
Gold medalist Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan is a 28-year-old boxer from Taipei County, Taiwan. She has been competing in female boxing matches since middle school and reportedly pursued a career in boxing to protect her mother from domestic abuse. Lin has competed in various weight divisions, including bantamweight, flyweight, and featherweight.
Gender Eligibility Controversy Surrounds Taiwan Boxer Lin Yu-Ting Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
Lin has been competing at the amateur championship level since 2017, winning a gold medal in the Asian Championships that year. She went on to secure another gold at the AIBA World Championships in 2018 and repeated her success at the Asian Championships in 2019, the Asian Games in 2022, and the World Championships in 2022. In 2020, she competed in the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, but lost in the Round of 16.
Lin's gender eligibility came under scrutiny at the 2023 World Championships, where she was disqualified and stripped of a bronze medal. The International Boxing Association (IBA) President, Umar Kremlev, stated that DNA tests had revealed the presence of XY chromosomes in Lin, indicating that she did not meet the eligibility criteria for women's competition.
Gender Eligibility Controversy Surrounds Taiwan Boxer Lin Yu-Ting Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
Following Lin's qualification for the Paris Olympics, the gender controversy resurfaced. Despite the IBA's initial disqualification of both Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) maintained that both athletes complied with the competition eligibility rules and were considered female as per their passports.
The IBA released a statement explaining the disqualification of Lin and Khelif based on their failure to meet the eligibility criteria set by the IBA. The IBA denied appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, rendering the ruling legally binding. The organization expressed concerns over inconsistencies in eligibility criteria among other sporting organizations, including the organizers of the Olympic Games.
Gender Eligibility Controversy Surrounds Taiwan Boxer Lin Yu-Ting Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
The IOC countered the IBA's statement, emphasizing that both Lin and Khelif met all eligibility requirements. The IOC maintained that the athletes were victims of an arbitrary decision by the IBA without due process.
Lin is set to face Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan in the women's 57-kilogram division at the Paris Olympics. Lin holds the top seed in the division.
Gender Eligibility Controversy Surrounds Taiwan Boxer Lin Yu-Ting Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
Lin boasts a record of 40-14 with one knockout at the amateur level. Her most recent loss came via split decision against Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu in April.
Supporters of Lin, including New Taipei City Councilor Cho Kuan-ting, have emphasized that the boxer was registered as a female at birth and that her identity card carries a "2" designation for females, which cannot be altered.
Gender Eligibility Controversy Surrounds Taiwan Boxer Lin Yu-Ting Ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics
