Olympic Champion Lin Yu-ting Pulls Out Of World Boxing Championships Amid Gender Controversy

Last Updated:September 02, 2025, 08:20 IST

World Boxing announced that women wishing to compete at the championships will need to undergo mandatory sex testing.

Lin Yu-ting won gold at the Paris Olympics. (AFP Photo)

Taiwanese Olympic boxing gold medallist Lin Yu-ting will not be competing at the world championships starting this week, Taiwan’s association said on Tuesday, even though she reportedly submitted her sex test results.

Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were central to a significant gender controversy at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they each won titles in different weight classes.

Last month, World Boxing announced that women wishing to compete at the championships in Liverpool from September 4-14 would need to undergo mandatory sex testing under its new policy.

Lin, who is 29 years old, had consented to the testing, her coach Tseng Tzu-chiang told AFP at that time.

Taiwan’s boxing association stated that it had submitted the results to World Boxing but had not received a response, according to the semi-official Central News Agency reported late Monday.

“We cannot allow the athlete to travel to the UK without any guarantee," the association was quoted as saying.

The association informed AFP in a message on Tuesday that Lin “will not attend the world championships in Liverpool" but did not provide a reason or answer AFP’s other inquiries.

Lin’s coach Tseng did not respond to phone calls or messages.

AFP has reached out to World Boxing for comments.

According to its policy, fighters over 18 who wish to participate in a World Boxing-sanctioned competition must take a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction genetic test, to determine their sex at birth.

Lin and Khelif were excluded from the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) 2023 world championships after the IBA claimed they had failed sex eligibility tests.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) permitted them to compete in Paris, stating they had been victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA". Both went on to achieve victory.

During the Games, Khelif and Lin faced attacks on social media, rumours regarding their biological sex, and disinformation.

With AFP Inputs

Feroz Khan

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...Read More

Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital...

Read More

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First Published:

September 02, 2025, 08:20 IST

News sports Olympic Champion Lin Yu-ting Pulls Out Of World Boxing Championships Amid Gender Controversy

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