Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting Secures Historic Olympic Medal Amid Gender Misconception Uproar

Lin and Khelif have been at the center of a clash over gender identity and regulations in sports.

VILLEPINTE, France — Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan secured her first Olympic medal on Sunday, one day after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif also clinched a medal despite enduring intense online harassment.

Lin triumphed over Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva in a 5-0 victory in the women’s 57-kilogram quarterfinal, guaranteeing her at least a bronze medal.

Lin and Khelif have faced a storm of debate regarding their gender identity and sports regulations. Both were disqualified from last year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association for unspecified eligibility issues.

Lin’s focus remains on winning gold, and she has avoided online negativity by shutting down her social media accounts. She will face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman at Roland-Garros on Wednesday.

Following the bout, Lin thanked her Taiwanese supporters. Staneva, despite an initial snub, showed sportsmanship by assisting Lin from the ring.

Lin had previously defeated Staneva in the 2023 world championship semifinals in India. That victory was annulled by the IBA, citing Lin’s failure to meet eligibility criteria, although details remain undisclosed.

The International Boxing Association has been banned from Olympic participation since 2019 due to administrative and financial transparency concerns. It refuses to divulge specifics of its eligibility tests, citing confidentiality.

Both Lin and Khelif have garnered significant support from their home countries amidst this controversy, with notable figures like former U.S. President Donald Trump and author J.K. Rowling making public, albeit false, assertions about their gender.

Khelif received an emotional victory over Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, earning cheers from supporters waving Algerian flags. Her emotional reaction was evident as she left the arena in tears.

Lin, in turn, received encouragement from the crowd both before and after her Sunday match. Her victory celebration included bowing to the fans and embracing her coaching team.

Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen showed her support on social media following Lin’s win over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova. Tsai praised Lin’s resilience against all challenges.

Competing in her second Olympics, Lin aims for better results than Tokyo 2021, where she didn’t medal. A two-time IBA world champion, Lin has a decade of elite amateur boxing experience. Neither Lin nor Khelif had been previously sanctioned before last year’s world championships.