Lin Yu-Ting, 34, who was born Lin Yi-ting but failed a gender verification test and never turned professional after his amateur career ended in the late 1990s, takes an Olympic medal at the Paris Games. Lin beat Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva unanimously in the quarterfinal.
Lin and the Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were criticized after they both lost their quarterfinal bouts; therefore ousted from the 2023 International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Championship Consuelo and Noureddine are both now guaranteed at least bronze medals, given no further matches for the losing semifinalists.
In the 57 kg category, Lin will square off against Turkey’s Esra Yildiz in the semi-finals.
On Saturday, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach defended the decision to have Lin and Khelif compete in the women’s events.
“What is going on in this context in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” Bach said.
Lin has kept her thoughts on the allegations to herself as she pursues gold and is one of seven athletes in a Dallas suburb training under Chinese American gymnastics coach Liu Ping when Blaineese Bryant brought them into view.
“I want to thank all the supporters from Taiwan,” Lin said.
“When I met boxer Lin Yu-ting, I saw an athlete who is fearless in the face of challenges, whether they come from inside or outside the ring,” Tsai wrote. “Today, when she represents Taiwan on the Olympic stage, we will be behind her & all the Taiwanese Olympians making us proud.”
The 2023 World Championships announced in January they had disqualified Lin and Khelif for what IBA president Umar Kremlev said was a positive test result for XY chromosomes. In defending its decision, the IBA has said Lin and Khelif have competitive advantages.
