Lin Yu-ting Withdraws from Boxing World Championships After Controversy
Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics in the 57-kilo category, will not participate in the upcoming World Championships to be held in Liverpool, United Kingdom, from September 4 to 14.
The decision was made after sex verification tests were carried out, the results of which were sent to World Boxing. However, the athlete did not receive a response from the organization.
The Taiwan Boxing Federation (CTBA) confirmed the withdrawal of Lin Yu-ting. The athlete’s coach indicated that, despite having complied with the mandatory tests and sending the results to World Boxing, they received no response.
According to reports from Taiwanese media, the CTBA made this decision to protect its athletes and ensure they do not travel to the UK without the guarantee of being able to compete.Controversy in Paris
The 29-year-old athlete was the subject of debate about her gender during the Paris Games. A year earlier, she was disqualified from the 2023 New Delhi World Championships, as was Algerian Imane Khelif, due to non-compliance with the female participation criteria established by the International Boxing Federation (IBA).
Before the 2024 Paris Games, the IOC withdrew recognition of the IBA due to financial, governance, and technical irregularities. The IOC itself managed the Olympic boxing tournament, where both athletes competed and won gold medals in their respective categories.
During the Games, the IOC and Paris 2024 assured that the two boxers were victims of an arbitrary decision by the IBA, guaranteeing that all competitors complied with the eligibility rules.World Boxing and the New Regulations
With the creation of World Boxing (WB) as the new international boxing federation and its recognition by the IOC, mandatory examinations were implemented to verify the sex of the participants in its competitions, both men and women, starting July 1st.
This measure, implemented for the first time by an Olympic federation, seeks to verify the biological gender of boxers, guarantee safety, and offer equal conditions in the competition.
WB’s demand has been challenged by Algerian Imane Khelif before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which announced that it will not take any precautionary decision until holding a hearing to study the case.
Khelif filed his appeal on August 5, requesting to revoke World Boxing’s decision to not allow him to participate in the Eindhoven World Cup and other competitions until he undergoes a sex verification test.
The Algerian athlete also asked the CAS to declare her eligible to participate in the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool.
