August 10, (THEWILL) – Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won gold in the women’s 57kg boxing category at the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
She defeated Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in a unanimous points decision at Roland Garros. This victory marks Taiwan’s second gold medal of the 2024 Games.
Lin’s win comes amid controversy surrounding gender eligibility in boxing. Both Lin and Algeria’s Imane Khelif, who also won gold in the 66kg category, were disqualified from the 2023 world championships after failing gender tests. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared them to compete in Paris.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) President, Umar Kremlev, claimed genetic testing showed Lin and Khelif “are men”. The IOC refuted this, stating both athletes were born and raised as women and have passports confirming their gender. Neither boxer is known to identify as transgender.
Lin, a two-time world champion, overcame a troubled childhood in Taipei. She took up boxing in junior high school, inspired by her desire to protect her mother from domestic violence. Lin experienced disappointment at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but rebounded to win world and Asian Games titles in 2023.
The gender controversy has drawn attention from public figures like Donald Trump and J.K. Rowling. Despite the scrutiny, Lin received strong support from spectators in Paris and fans back home in Taiwan. Top Taiwanese sports officials have threatened legal action against the IBA over its claims.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
