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Lin Yu-ting, an Olympic boxer who has previously failed gender eligibility tests, won a fight in about 90 seconds during Taiwan’s National Games, according to the national news agency for Taiwan. Newsweek reached out to the Taiwan National Games for comment via email. Why It Matters Athletic organizations across the world have spent years grappling with the inclusion of transgender and intersex athletes, with some such as Lin coming under scrutiny. Lin failed gender eligibility tests in 2023, disqualifying her from the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) world championship. She is not transgender. Her case underscores the complexity of navigating questions of gender in the world of sports. What To Know Lin faced off against opponent Pan Yanfei during Taiwan’s National Games, according to the Central News Agency (CNA). She “adopted a defensive counterattack” during the match and won in one minute and 34 seconds. At that point, Pan’s coach “threw in the towel and gave up the game” after the fighter became “breathless because of being hit on the head,” according to the report. After the match, Lin kept a low profile and declined interviews, CNA reported, saying that it was her first match since switching to the 60kg weight class. Lin Yu-ting bites her medal during the Olympic Games, at Roland Garros on August 10, 2024, in Paris. Lin is one of two female boxers along with Imane Khelif of Algeria who drew controversy after being disqualified from the IBA’s 2023 championships. Neither are transgender but failed a gender eligibility test. It is rare, but there have been cases of women being born with XY chromosomes. Debate remains about whether these athletes hold an unfair advantage over other women and whether sports organizations should allow them to compete against other women. Different organizations have handled the issue differently. The IBA has previously disqualified Lin from competing with other women. She was, however, allowed to compete in the Olympics last year, when she won a gold medal. The website for Taiwan’s National Games reads: “Physical examination shall be conducted at a general hospital designated by the participating organization. The participating organization and the contestant shall certify in the contestant’s guarantee and personal information consent form that the contestant’s gender and fitness to participate in strenuous sports competitions are met.” What People Are Saying The IBA, in a previous statement: “The IBA will never support any boxing bouts between the genders, as the organization puts the safety and well-being of our athletes first. We are protecting our women and their rights to compete in the ring against equal rivals, and we will defend and support them in all instances; their hopes and dreams must never be taken away by organisations unwilling to do the right thing under difficult circumstances.” Lin, to reporters in 2024, per NBC News: “As an elite athlete during the competition, it’s important to shut myself off from social media and to focus. Some of the noises and some of the news articles, of course I heard some of the information through my coach, but I didn’t pay too much mind to it.” What Happens Next Debate over gender and sports will likely continue and loom over future athletic events.
