OLYMPICS/IOC saddened by assaults on boxers' gender; Lin ready to 'thrive on fear'

Taipei, Aug. 2 (CNA) The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has voiced support for the participation in Paris of two female boxers, including Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷), who have faced renewed questions over their gender.

"As with previous Olympic boxing competitions, the gender and age of the athletes are based on their passport," which was applied during the qualification period, the IOC said in a statement Friday. "Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination."

The statement responded to doubts over the gender eligibility of Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria, which stem from their disqualification from the 2023 Women's World Boxing Championships and have been fueled by what the IOC called "misleading information."

The IOC cited the minutes of an International Boxing Association (IBA) board of directors meeting, dated March 25, 2023, noting that "the minutes also state that the IBA should 'establish a clear procedure on gender testing.'"

Referring to the two boxers as "victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the [IBA]," the IOC said they have been competing in international boxing competitions "for many years in the women's category, including the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, [IBA] World Championships, and IBA-sanctioned tournaments."

When asked about blood testosterone levels, a common indicator used to judge a female athlete's gender eligibility, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said the issue should be determined by federations of different sports but felt it was a problem to overemphasize it as the sole benchmark.

"What I would say about testosterone is that it is not a perfect test. Many women can have testosterone levels considered to be in the 'male range' and still be women and compete as women," Adams said.

"So this idea of testing testosterone or something else as a definitive solution is not the case," he said at a daily briefing Thursday.

Adams also stressed that this was not a transgender issue.

"I want to make that absolutely clear to everyone. There has been some misreporting on that. It's very important to say that this is not a transgender issue," he said.

It remains unclear what specific indicators the IBA used in its decisions, as it stated that "the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, the specifics of which remain confidential."

The Guardian, however, has cited IBA President Umar Kremlev as telling the Russian news agency, Tass, that DNA tests had "proved they had XY chromosomes and were thus excluded from the sports events."

What happened at the 2023 World Championships?

Part of the complexity may stem from the fact that the IBA is not recognized by the IOC as the body in charge of boxing qualification. The IOC set up the ad-hoc Paris Boxing Unit (PBU) to manage boxing events at the Games this summer.

It is the second consecutive Games in which the IBA has not been in charge of the boxing events. The IOC suspended the boxing association in 2019 before revoking its recognition in 2023 due to a lack of financial transparency and sustainability.

The controversy originated from the disqualification of the two boxers from the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in the 57-kilogram event (Lin) and the 66 kg event (Khelif).

The decision was made on March 24 by then IBA Director General and CEO George Yerolimpos and was ratified at the board of directors meeting held the next day.

According to Lin's coach, Tseng Tzu-chiang (曾自強), they appealed the decision, but the IBA rejected the appeal. However, in its statements on July 31 and Aug. 1, the IBA claimed that the decision was "legally binding" as Lin "did not appeal" it.

The IBA stated that Khelif did appeal but later withdrew it, making the decision legally binding as well.

Lin, a two-time IBA world champion in 2018 and 2022, cleared her name after undergoing subsequent tests upon her return to Taiwan in late March.

She competed in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023 and faced a similar challenge from Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan before the final bout. However, her eligibility was confirmed, and she won Taiwan's first boxing gold in the event.

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Conflict reignited

The issue came under international scrutiny in late July, particularly after Barry McGuigan, a retired Irish WBA lineal featherweight champion, retweeted an X post by independent media outlet REDUXX, stating, "It's shocking that they were actually allowed to get this far, what is going on?"

This act soon drew the attention of celebrities like J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" series, who chimed in on July 30, apparently mistaking the case as a transgender issue.

The controversy intensified following Khelif's victory on Aug. 1 over Italy's Angela Carini, who surrendered in tears only 46 seconds into the bout, feeling that the Algerian's punches were too much.

"I got into the ring to fight. I didn't give up, but one punch hurt too much, so I said enough. I'm going out with my head held high," Carini was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

The video of that match went viral online, shared by celebrities like Tesla founder Elon Musk and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who visited Taiwan in early July.

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Lin undaunted

The attacks are likely to target Lin as well, who won her opening bout in her weight class by unanimous decision over Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan on Friday.

The 28-year-old pugilist said she was mentally prepared for all these doubts.

"Now that we are stepping up [to compete], I can see these criticisms as a result of the rivals' fear of our prowess. This only makes me believe that they are so afraid of me that I can perform better in the ring," she said.

Lin, who deleted all social media apps as she was getting ready for the Olympics, admitted that she has received many messages from her family and friends, but she reassured her supporters, "No worries. I'm 100 percent concentrated on preparing for the Games."

Meanwhile, both President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) showed their support for Lin on social media.

"I have always admired the determination of our athletes -- like our boxing contestant Lin Yu-ting, whose focus & discipline are truly inspiring," Lai wrote. "We firmly & proudly support her & all #Team Taiwan."

Timeline

March 16, 2023: Lin undergoes a gender test at the 2023 IBA World Championships.

March 23: Lin loses to Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan in the World Championships in the women's 57 kg semifinal, receiving a bronze medal.

March 24: George Yerolimpos, then IBA Director General and CEO, decides to disqualify Lin and Khelif.

March 25: The IBA Board of Directors ratifies Yerolimpos' decision to disqualify Lin and Khelif and reinstate a Thai boxer who lost to Khelif in the semi-final.

March 26: Lin is notified of her disqualification ahead of the award ceremony.

March 28: Lin returns to Taiwan and undergoes her first check at the Chang Gung Medical Foundation's Linkou Branch in New Taipei. On the same day, Tseng says they appealed the decision, but the IBA did not accept it.

April 6: The Sports Administration announces that Lin has undergone two tests and that the results were in, adding that the World Championships were not part of the Olympic qualifiers.

April 9: Lin says she would cooperate fully with the Sports Administration's inspection.

April 11: The Sports Administration holds a meeting, attended by Lin and Tseng, and confirms that all questions about Lin's eligibility, including testosterone levels and doping, had been resolved after consultations with experts, scholars and medical authorities. It said it would first contact the IBA to understand the test criteria to protect Lin's rights.

July 31, 2024: The IBA says "the athletes did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, the specifics of which remain confidential." The agency adds that the decision was based on two tests (which the IBA emphasized were "trustworthy" on Aug. 1) conducted on Lin and Khelif during its World Championships in 2022 and 2023.