Another Olympic boxer under scrutiny regarding her sex has joined Algeria’s Imane Khelif in claiming a medal, despite the ongoing controversy surrounding both athletes.
Lin Yu-Ting from Taiwan triumphed over Bulgaria’s Svetlanak Staneva in the quarter-finals of the women’s 57kg category.
For Yu-Ting, 28, this victory was not just about avenging her critics but also about overcoming Staneva, who was awarded her bronze medal at the World Championships in New Delhi last year.
Even though Yu-Ting defeated Staneva, 34, in India, the results were later overturned due to doubts regarding her gender, resulting in the match being declared a ‘no contest.’
However, this morning Yu-Ting was recognized as the unanimous winner, receiving a warm reception from Olympic fans at the North Paris Arena.
Lin Yu-Ting is guaranteed to take an Olympic medal home from Paris
The Taiwanese boxer has been at the centre of an eligibility row in recent days
Following the announcement of her victory, Yu-Ting posed for cameras, hugged her team, and exchanged gloves with her opponent.
Lin Yu-Ting, 28, along with Khelif, 25, faced disqualification from last year’s women’s world championships due to failed gender tests.
However, both Yu-Ting and Khelif, who holds a female passport, were registered as female at birth.
Olympic officials have defended the participation of both Khelif and Yu-Ting in Paris 2024, noting that Yu-Ting began boxing at 13 to help protect her mother from domestic violence.
After last year’s disqualification, the Taiwanese sports administrators conducted additional tests on Yu-Ting, confirming her eligibility for the Olympics.
Yu-Ting’s Olympic representatives described the accusations against her as discriminatory and a calculated effort to disturb her mental well-being.
The IOC stated that eligibility decisions for boxers were based on gender rules that were applicable during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
In the past three years, various sporting organizations, including World Aquatics, World Athletics, and the International Cycling Union, have revised their gender rules. Last year, the track organization tightened regulations for athletes with differences in sex development.
The IOC is overseeing boxing in Paris due to the revocation of the International Boxing Association’s Olympic status amid governance issues, financial transparency concerns, and numerous perceived corruption cases in judging and officiating.
The IBA, led by Russian president Umar Kremlev, has partnered with Russian state-owned Gazprom as its main sponsor and relocated many operations to Russia.
Nonetheless, Olympic officials have referred to the situation concerning the two boxers as a ‘minefield,’ noting that no definitive scientific evidence has been offered to confirm that both athletes are not women.
IOC chief Bach expressed: ‘We are discussing women’s boxing. We have two athletes born as women, raised as women, holding female passports, and competing for years as women. This clearly defines what a woman is.’
However, IBA genetic tests indicated that Khelif and Yu-Ting possess XY chromosomes, yet neither identifies as transgender.
Prominent figures like JK Rowling, Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, and double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams have voiced their opposition to the boxers’ involvement in women’s sports.
Davies remarked: ‘This is appalling. The IOC is disgraceful. It’s essentially legalizing the assault of women. This must come to an end! What on earth is wrong with them?’
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss questioned: ‘When will this madness cease? Men cannot transform into women. Why is the British Government not challenging this?’
In response, Olympic officials criticized what they termed an online ‘hate’ campaign against the athletes.
Khelif’s quarter-final opponent, Anna Luca Hamori from Hungary, previously shared an image depicting a ‘beauty and a beast’ prior to their match, stating she had no objections to competing against ‘a man or a woman.’
That post has since been removed from her social media account.
The Algerian Olympic and Sports Committee filed a formal complaint with the IOC, protesting the online harassment faced by Khelif, which they claim constitutes a serious breach of sports ethics and the Olympic Charter by a participant in the Paris Olympic boxing competition, as outlined in a statement shared on the committee’s Facebook page.
While the statement did not specify the boxer accused of making derogatory comments about Khelif, it warned that the IOC ‘has issued a final warning to remove any posts relating to our heroine Imane Khelif.’
Furthermore, it added: ‘We reserve the right to pursue legal action against all those who participated in this hateful campaign against our heroine Imane Khelif.’
