Taiwanese sports officials announced Wednesday that Olympic boxing champion Lin Yu-ting had withdrawn from competition in Britain after her gender eligibility was questioned, but organizers denied that she had joined the event.
Lin, who, along with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, was involved in a gender dispute during the Paris Olympics, was scheduled to compete in the World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield beginning Wednesday. The new competition is being run by World Boxing, which was created in 2023 and has approximately 55 members, including Taiwan.
Lin had been expected to compete in her first global event since Paris, but she left after World It questioned her eligibility, according to Taiwan’s Sports Administration.
“She is female, meets all the requirements, and successfully participated in the boxing women’s event (in Paris), obtaining a gold medal,” according to the announcement.
“Unfortunately, because World Boxing is new and still developing operational mechanisms, it lacks the IOC’s clear regulatory policies that ensure the protection of athletes’ rights,” it stated, referring to the International Olympic Committee.
Lin, 28, volunteered to have a “comprehensive medical examination locally” in Britain, but World Boxing declined, according to the statement. Lin landed in Britain a few days ago and withdrew from the tournament on Tuesday, according to Sports Administration spokesperson Hsieh Chi-ying.