Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, fresh off her gold medal victory in the women’s featherweight division at the 2024 Paris Olympics, now finds herself at the center of another controversy. According to Taiwanese sports officials, Lin withdrew from an international competition in the United Kingdom due to issues surrounding medical confidentiality.

Lin, along with Algeria’s Imane Khelif, was embroiled in a gender-related controversy during the Paris Games. The 28-year-old was slated to compete in the World Boxing Cup finals in Sheffield, scheduled to begin on Wednesday. The event is organized by World Boxing, a newly founded organization established in 2023, which currently boasts a modest membership of 55 countries, including Taiwan.

“She is female, meets all eligibility criteria, and successfully participated in the women’s boxing event [in Paris], winning a gold medal,” Taiwan’s Sports Administration affirmed in a statement on Wednesday after she withdrew from the event. However, the Sports Administration criticized World Boxing’s inexperience and operational shortcomings. “Unfortunately, as World Boxing is newly established and still navigating the development of its operational mechanisms, it lacks the clear regulatory policies of the IOC that ensure the protection of athletes’ rights,” the statement said.

The statement also highlighted the lack of robust confidentiality procedures within World Boxing’s medical committee. “World Boxing’s medical committee has yet to establish robust confidentiality procedures to safeguard the medical information submitted by Taiwan regarding Lin Yu-ting.”

Reportedly, Lin had offered to waive a full medical examination in the United Kingdom, but the organization did not agree with her proposal. Concerned about a potential repeat of the controversy she faced during the Paris Olympics, Lin’s coach and Taiwanese sports officials ultimately decided to withdraw her from the event.

However, this isn’t the first time Lin, and Khelif for that matter, were removed from a competition. 

Lin Yu-ting kicked from the competition for the second time

Russian-led International Boxing Association (IBA) removed both fighters from the world championship in 2023. Umar Kremlev, the president of IBA, had claimed in a press conference that the two female participants had undergone genetic testing, which said they were biological men. However, during this year’s Paris games, things were different. 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach defended both boxers, suggesting they were born and raised biological females and it showed on their passports. Regardless, boxing might not be included in the 2028 Olympics. The IOC has removed the IBA from overseeing the sport and has yet to appoint a replacement. With World Boxing still relatively new, it’s unlikely they will step into the role.

That said, it appears Lin Yu-ting’s problems from the past haven’t stopped following her. Even though she was allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Games, her participation in other events is causing her gender eligibility issues. What do you think about the situation?