Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting, previously disqualified from the 2023 Women’s Boxing World Championships for not meeting gender eligibility criteria, secured a decisive victory against Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova.
The match, held on Friday, saw Lin dominate Turdibekova with a 3-0 decision, with each judge scoring every round in favor of Lin.
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Lin’s win follows another notable match, where Italian boxer Angela Carini faced off against Algerian athlete Imane Khelif. Khelif overwhelmed Carini in just 46 seconds, with Carini succumbing to two powerful punches before dropping her helmet and calling the situation “unjust.” The scene escalated as Carini fell to the ground in tears, refusing to shake hands with Khelif.
Lin’s participation in the Olympics has sparked debate, given her history, similar to Khelif. Both were born women but have XY chromosomes, which are typically associated with male DNA, and were found to have high testosterone levels.
The International Boxing Association (IBA) has issued a scathing statement directed at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) concerning its eligibility guidelines for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The IBA emphasized the importance of maintaining competitive fairness and questioned the IOC’s differing regulations, which have allowed Lin and Khelif to compete despite their previous disqualification.
Read the full statement below:
As stated, the International Boxing Association (IBA) feels it appropriate at this prevalent time, to address recent media statements regarding athletes Lin Yu-Ting and Imane Khelif, particularly regarding their participation in the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
We wish to make the following points in these regards:
On 24 March 2023, IBA disqualified athletes Lin Yu-Ting and Imane Khelif from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships New Delhi 2023. This disqualification was a result of their failure to meet the eligibility criteria for participating in the women’s competition, as set and laid out in the IBA Regulations. This decision, made after a meticulous review, was extremely important and necessary to uphold the level of fairness and utmost integrity of the competition.
Point to note, the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential. This test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors.
The decision made by IBA on 24 March 2023 was subsequently ratified by the IBA Board of Directors on 25 March 2023. The official record of this decision can be accessed on the IBA website here IBA Board of Directors Meeting Minutes.
The disqualification was based on two tests conducted on both athletes as follows:
- Test performed during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul 2022.
- Test performed during the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi 2023.
For clarification:
- Lin Yu-Ting did not appeal the IBA’s decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), thus rendering the decision legally binding.
- Imane Khelif initially appealed the decision to CAS but withdrew the appeal during the process, also making the IBA decision legally binding.
Our Committees have rigorously reviewed and endorsed the decision made during the World Championships. While IBA remains committed to ensuring competitive fairness in all of our events, we express concern over the inconsistent application of eligibility criteria by other sporting organizations, including those overseeing the Olympic Games. The IOC’s differing regulations on these matters, in which IBA is not involved, raise serious questions about both competitive fairness and athletes’ safety.
For clarification on why the IOC permits athletes with competitive advantages to compete in their events, we urge interested parties to seek answers directly from the IOC.