Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting was thrust into the middle of a gender eligibility controversy before the 2024 Paris Olympics and a fight against Uzbekistan fighter Sitora Turdibekova.
Lin has not been in a firestorm like Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is now, but Lin was also deemed to have male chromosomes in the same 2023 Women’s World Championships tournament in which Khelif competed. Both fighters were disqualified from the tournament.
Here’s what to know about Lin and the issue.
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Lin is a 28-year-old boxer from Taipei County, Taiwan, and has been competing in female boxing matches since middle school, according to Taiwan News.
Lin reportedly started to turn a hobby into a career to "protect her mother from domestic abuse."
Lin has competed in the women’s bantamweight, women’s flyweight and women’s featherweight divisions.
Lin has been competing at the amateur championship level since 2017. Lin won a gold medal in the 2017 Asian Championships in Ho Chi Minh City against Vietnam’s Le Thi Bang in the bantamweight division. Lin was 21 at the time.
Lin then moved to the AIBA World Championships in 2018 and won a bantamweight gold. Lin also won gold in the 2019 Asian Championships, the 2022 Asian Games and the 2022 World Championships.
Lin fought in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which were held in 2021. Lin lost to the Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio in the Round of 16.
But it’s the 2023 World Championships where the controversy surrounding Lin and Khelif begins.
WHO IS IMANE KHELIF: THE ALGERIAN OLYMPIC BOXER DEEMED TO HAVE MALE CHROMOSOMES
Lin was disqualified from the 2023 World Championships and had a bronze medal stripped away over gender eligibility issues. International Boxing Association (IBA) President Umar Kremlev released a statement to Russia’s TASS Agency about why Lin was disqualified.
"Based on DNA tests, we identified a number of athletes who tried to trick their colleagues into posing as women. According to the results of the tests, it was proved that they have XY chromosomes. Such athletes were excluded from competition," Kremlev said.
Lin qualified for the Paris Olympics, and the controversy about the boxer’s gender was renewed.
International Olympic Committee spokesperson Mark Adams tried to explain it away.
"Everyone competing in the women’s category is complying with the competition eligibility rules," Adams said this week. "They are women in their passports, and it’s stated that this is the case, that they are female."
The IBA released a new statement before Khelif’s match and explained why the fighter was disqualified.
"On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023," the IBA said. "This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition."
"Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential," the statement continued. "This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors."
The IBA said Lin underwent two tests: one in 2022 and the other in 2023. The IBA said it did not appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, "thus rendering the decision legally binding."
"Our Committees have rigorously reviewed and endorsed the decision made during the World Championships," the IBA said. "While IBA remains committed to ensuring competitive fairness in all of our events, we express concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organizations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games. The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety."
The IOC pushed back with a statement on Thursday, defending its eligibility requirements and maintaining that Khelif met all requirements.
"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."
Lin squares off against Uzbek Sitora Turdibekova in the Paris Olympics on Friday. Lin is the top seed in the 57-kilogram division.
Lin is 40-14 with one knockout at the amateur level. Lin last lost in April against Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu in Colorado via split decision.
New Taipei City Councilor Cho Kuan-ting said on social media that the boxer was registered as a female at birth, according to Taiwan News. Furthermore, the outlet reported that Lin’s identity card has a "2" designation meant for females. It reportedly cannot be altered.
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