Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting becomes second boxer to win fight in Olympics after previously failing gender test
2 August 2024, 16:38
Taiwan's Lin Yu-Ting has become the second Olympic boxer to win a fight after failing a gender eligibility test.
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Yu-Ting went the full three rounds against 22-year-old Sitora Turdibekova before winning on a unanimous decision.
She is now only one more win away from being guaranteed an Olympic medal.
However, the boxer has been caught up in a controversial gender row just 24 hours after Algeria's Imane Khelif also faced scrutiny.
The pair were allowed to play in the Paris Games despite being disqualified from last year's World Championships for failing to meet gender eligibility criteria.
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But the row erupted on Thursday when Khelif defeated Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds, with the Italian saying afterwards she had "never felt a punch like this".
Carini refused to shake hands with Khelif after the fight as she wept on the canvas with a possible broken nose.
However, she has since apologised for initiating the controversy.
"I’m sorry for my opponent, too. If the IOC said she can fight, I respect that decision," she said.
Speaking about her decision to not shake Khelif’s hand, Carini added: ”It wasn’t something I intended to do.
"Actually, I want to apologise to her and everyone else. I was angry because my Olympics had gone up in smoke.
"I don’t have anything against Khelif. Actually, if I were to meet her again I would embrace her."
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that Khelif was eligible to compete in the Olympics as her passport says she is a woman.
A statement read: "Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination.
"All athletes participating in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 comply with the competition's eligibility and entry regulations, as well as all applicable medical regulations set by the Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU)."
The authority further clarified that "the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport," and confirmed that both athletes had previously competed in Tokyo.
"We have seen in reports misleading information about two female athletes competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024," they added.
