TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Paris Olympic Games gold medalist Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) has withdrawn from a boxing event in the UK over eligibility issues.
Sports Administration Director-General Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠) on Wednesday (Nov. 27) said the decision for Lin to withdraw from the World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield, England was due to inadequate medical confidentiality measures, per CNA. The administration urged World Boxing to establish a safe and effective internal control system and not repeat past mistakes
The participation of Lin in the Paris Olympics has been overshadowed by controversy stirred by the International Boxing Association after it disqualified her from the 2023 Boxing World Championships for allegedly failing gender tests. Even so, Lin made history by winning Taiwan’s first Olympic gold medal in boxing.
This year-end tournament, organized by the newly formed World Boxing, would have marked Lin’s first competition since her Olympic victory. Cheng said his office anticipated potential issues and Sports Administration Deputy Director-General Fang Jui-wen (房瑞文), Chinese Taipei Boxing Association Secretary-General Peng Chun-ming (彭俊銘), and the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee's Gender Equity Committee Chair Chen Yi-an (陳怡安) accompanied the boxing team to the UK.
Cheng said Lin has received the International Olympic Committee's full support this year. Cheng emphasized that Lin is a woman who meets all eligibility requirements.
However, Cheng said that as a newly established organization, World Boxing is still refining its operations and lacks clear policies to protect the rights and interests of athletes, unlike the IOC. Cheng said World Boxing's medical commission lacks comprehensive information and confidentiality protocols to safeguard the medical information submitted by Lin's team.
Cheng said Lin had agreed to undergo a comprehensive medical examination on-site but World Boxing did not permit her to compete. To avoid further harm to Lin, her coach Tseng Tzu-chiang (曾自強), Peng, and Chen decided to withdraw her from the competition.
The Sports Administration said it respected the team's decision. Cheng suggested that in the future, Lin Yin-chou (林瀛洲), a physician on the medical committee of Taiwan's boxing association, could meet face-to-face with World Boxing medical and legal personnel, accompanied by legal counsel, to ensure clarity and safeguard Lin’s rights.
Cheng stressed the importance of confidentiality in resolving Lin’s case and urged World Boxing to develop a secure internal control system to protect athletes' rights. Cheng was quoted as saying he hoped “World Boxing will not repeat the mistakes of its predecessors.”
He warned that such actions could undermine Lin's eligibility and jeopardize boxing's inclusion in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
