The Taiwanese Lin Yu Tingone of the two female boxers of the Olympic Games involved in a gender controversy, defeated Uzbek Sitora Turdibekova by unanimous decision in her debut in Paris-2024.
The participation of Lin, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the 57kg category, and of Algerian Imane Khelif was widely criticized because they were disqualified from the World Championships a year ago for failing a gender test, the details of which are unknown.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has repeatedly defended its decision to allow them to compete in Paris, saying that “it is established that they are women.”
The controversy erupted on Thursday after Khelif’s first opponent, Italian Angela Carini, retired in tears after just 46 seconds of fighting, during which she received several strong blows to the face.
Images of the fight quickly spread on social media with sports figures, such as Martina Navratilova, and politicians, from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to former US President Donald Trump, criticising the IOC’s authorisation of Khelif’s participation.
In her first turn in the ring, Lin displayed greater mobility and punching power against Turdibekova that allowed her to dominate the fight from the beginning.
The tall Taiwanese boxer, 1.75m tall, also showed off her greater size against the Uzbek (1.70m).
Asked about her gender before the fight, Lin told Taiwanese broadcaster TVBS that she was only thinking about “performing better in the ring.”
“I guess my opponents are afraid of my strength,” so my detractors “just look for a loophole and make a big deal out of it,” he said.
Criticism of Lin and Khelif centres on the fact that both were disqualified from the 2023 World Boxing Championship for not meeting “eligibility criteria”.
The suspension was decided by the International Boxing Association (IBA), the organisation from which the IOC withdrew the organisation of the Olympic tournament due to a lack of transparency.
Everyone wants a “simple explanation” but there is no “black and white” explanation, neither “in the scientific community nor anywhere else,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said on Friday, referring to the controversy that has dominated headlines at the Games in recent days.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
