Taiwan Boxer Lin Yu-ting Wins Gold Amid Gender Eligibility Controversy

Taiwanese Olympic boxing champion Lin Yu-ting has won gold in the 60kg category at Taiwan's National Games, marking her first competition since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she was at the center of a gender controversy alongside Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Both athletes were excluded from the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests but were allowed to compete at the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which condemned the IBA's actions as "sudden and arbitrary." Lin submitted to a compulsory genetic sex test required by World Boxing for eligibility in women's competitions but has yet to receive official confirmation, delaying her participation in future international events. The new World Boxing policy mandates a one-time PCR or equivalent genetic test for fighters over 18 competing in female categories, leading to several boxers being barred from the Liverpool championships for missing submission deadlines. Lin's coach emphasized that her return and gold medal win followed proper preparations, with ongoing uncertainty about her international career hinging on pending test results. Throughout the controversy, the IOC defended both boxers, affirming their female identity as documented on their passports and condemning online attacks and misinformation regarding their biological sex.