Olympic boxer Lin Yu-ting made a stunning return to the ring, securing a decisive victory after knocking out her opponent in just 94 seconds.
The 29-year-old athlete, who claimed featherweight gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was previously disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after failing a gender eligibility test.
Lin, who is not transgender and is legally recognized as female on her passport, has been the focus of ongoing debate over her gender status. In 2023, the International Boxing Association (IBA) revealed that Lin’s test results showed XY chromosomes, typically associated with biological males.
However, experts note that intersex conditions, medically referred to as Differences in Sexual Development (DSDs), can result in individuals appearing outwardly female while having male chromosomes, or vice versa.
In August, World Boxing introduced mandatory genetic s£x testing for all boxers over the age of 18 to determine eligibility for competition. This policy kept Lin and fellow athlete Imane Khelif—who also faced scrutiny but went on to win gold in the welterweight division at the Paris Games—out of competition for a time.
Despite this, Taiwan’s National Games permitted Lin to participate in the women’s 60kg division, where she faced 19-year-old Pan Yan-fei. Lin dominated the match, landing several powerful punches that left Pan visibly struggling.
Pan’s coach threw in the towel, prompting the referee to stop the fight. Reports say Pan was in stable condition afterward, though no further medical updates were released.
Following the bout, Lin’s coach Tseng Tzu-chiang described the win as “routine” and declined to comment on the ongoing eligibility debate.
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