Olympic excitement

Taiwan president backs “male” boxer

Boxer Lin Yu-ting

(Bild: AP)

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te is backing boxer Lin Yu-ting, who has become the subject of a gender debate!

Lin is ready to make history for Taiwan in the Olympic final this weekend, he announced on the X platform after the 28-year-old's semi-final victory. "Despite misleading claims from the IBA (World Boxing Association) and bullying from various quarters, she is moving forward with class and composure. We are in your corner," Lai wrote.

Cabinet condemns misleading statements about Lin
Lai also instructed his government to consider legal action. The cabinet condemned the misleading statements surrounding Lin and referred to the eligibility granted by the International Olympic Committee. "The legal aspects, with all the evidence and information already gathered by lawyers, will most likely be addressed after the competition," said cabinet spokeswoman Chen Shih-kai.

Lin and welterweight finalist Imane Khelif from Algeria are in the spotlight because of doubts about their right to compete. The boxers were excluded from the 2023 World Championships following gender tests by the IBA, which have not yet been specified in detail. According to the IBA, neither of them had met the required participation criteria and had "competitive advantages compared to other female participants".

The IOC no longer recognizes the association and called it an "arbitrary decision without due process". Khelif and Lin were therefore allowed to compete in Paris. One of the reasons given was that the gender stated in the passport is decisive for admission to competitions in many sports.