Lin Yu-ting could be taking gold home from Paris after a gender controversy has consumed most of her Olympic experience.
The boxer from Taiwan will win at least a silver medal after defeating Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey in one of the women’s 57-kilogram semifinal matches.
Despite an aggressive strategy from Yildiz Kahraman with several combinations to hopefully gain some advantage over the 5-foot-9 Yu-ting, it wasn’t enough.
Yu-ting went on to cruise to another dominant 5-0 victory for a shot at a gold medal against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta.
Yildiz Kahraman, who will receive a bronze medal, repeated a previously used gesture to spoil the moment for the two-time Olympian.
Just as Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria did in the quarterfinal bout, Yildiz made two Xs with her index fingers, which seemingly referred to the symbols of female chromosomes, as Yu-Ting’s sex has been questioned throughout the games.
Yu-ting, along with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who clinched a spot in the welterweight gold medal final, have been at the center of a gender identity clash throughout the Olympics.
Critics have questioned their gender after learning of the pair’s disqualification from the 2023 world championships for failing to pass gender eligibility tests and and were subsequently banned from the International Boxing Association (IBA).
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting (r.) punches Turkey’s Esra Yildiz (l.) during an Olympics semifinal boxing match on Aug. 7, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, left, fights Turkey’s Esra Yildiz in their women’s 57 kg semifinal boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024. AP
Turkey’s Esra Yildiz makes an “X” gesture with her fingers after losing to Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting in an Olympics boxing semifinal on Aug. 7, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
A closeup view of Turkey’s Esra Yildiz making an “X” gesture with her fingers after losing to Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting in an Olympics boxing semifinal on Aug. 7, 2024. Getty ImagesIBA president Umar Kremlev said at the time that both athlete’s DNA tests “proved they had XY chromosomes.”
On Monday, the IBA secretary general Chris Roberts said that the IBA will not reveal those test results, but suggested “you can read between the lines what it means.”
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has continuously defended the boxers. The IOC holds different eligibility tests and has also banned the IBA from the Olympics.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting preapres to fight Turkey’s Esra Yildiz in their women’s 57 kg semifinal boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. AP2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
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“The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, boxed as a female, and has a female passport,” IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said of Khelif.
IOC President Thomas Bach stood up to say that the IOC will not be involved in a “culture war.”
“What is going on in this context, in the social media with all this hate speech, with this aggression and abuse, and fueled by this agenda, is totally unacceptable,” he added.
Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting reacts after beating Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva (Blue) in the women’s 57kg quarterfinal boxing match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the North Paris Arena, in Villepinte on August 4, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
Imane Khelif (ALG) celebrates defeating Janjaem Suwannapheng (THA) in a women’s 66kg bronze medal bout during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games. Michael Madrid-USA TODAY SportsYu-Ting didn’t address the gesture from Yildiz Kahraman to reporters afterwards and continued to thank her supporters as she has done throughout the games.
“The feeling of entering the gold-medal match is one of gratitude to myself for making it this far,” she said, per Reuters. “After going out in the first round of the Tokyo Olympics, it’s been a tough journey to reach the finals. I will use everything I’ve learned in my life to do my best in the next match. I thank everyone in Taiwan for supporting me, even late at night. Thank you to all the supporters who have supported and encouraged me along the way. I will give my utmost effort to repay them in the final.”
The women’s 57g gold medal bout is set for Saturday, Aug. 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.







