Who is Lin Yu-ting, who’s been caught in an Olympics gender row alongside Algerian boxer Imane Khelif? The Taiwanese boxer is now guaranteed a medal at Paris 2024 Olympics – the controversy, explained
- Lin won her quarter-final over Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva in the women’s 57kg category on Sunday, which means she’s now guaranteed a medal, as losing semi-finalists take home bronze
- She and Khelif competed at the Tokyo Games in 2021 but did not win medals; neither boxer identifies as transgender, but previously failed ‘gender eligibility’ tests, though the IOC has defended them
Lin, who together with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is at the centre of a storm over their eligibility, defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva on a unanimous points decision to reach the semi-finals of the women’s 57kg category.
After a scrappy and tetchy fight, 34-year-old Staneva’s coach Borislav Georgiev held a piece of paper with the words: “I’m XX. Save woman sport [sic].”
In most cases, males have both an X and Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes.
Despite the online abuse and speculation about her sex, with her second win of the tournament, 28-year-old Lin is certain to win a medal, as losing semi-finalists in boxing take home bronze. Here’s what we know about her.
Lin Yu-ting won a gold medal for her debut match
Lin, an amateur world champion, made her debut at the AIBA World Women’s Youth Championships in 2013. She won gold in Albena, Bulgaria, and has a 41-14 (1 KO) record overall, as per Independent.
She previously failed “gender eligibility” tests
