Olympic gender-row boxer Lin Yu-ting made a controversial return to the ring at Taiwan's National Games on Tuesday, stopping 19-year-old opponent Pan Yan-fei in just 94 seconds.
The 29-year-old, who won gold at last year's Paris Olympics, dominated the women's 60kg division bout from the start. Pan, a university student making her senior debut, struggled to cope with repeated blows to the head.
The fight ended when Pan's coach threw in the towel after the teenager appeared breathless and unable to recover from the barrage of punches. The referee immediately stopped the contest, with the result officially recorded as "abandoned" rather than a knockout.
Pan was examined ringside after the bout, with officials confirming she could walk without assistance and her condition was stable.
Olympic gold medallist Lin Yu-ting made a dramatic return to the ring at Taiwan's National Games on Tuesday, stopping 19-year-old opponent Pan Yan-fei in just 94 seconds
|PA
For Lin, this marked the first competitive bout since claiming Olympic gold in the women's featherweight division in Paris 2024 Olympics, where the fighter's participation sparked intense debate. The Taiwanese boxer had previously been barred from the 2023 World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests.
During those championships, the International Boxing Association revealed that medical tests showed Lin had XY chromosomes. IBA president Umar Kremlev stated that DNA testing had identified athletes who were "trying to fool their colleagues and pretend to be women."
Despite this disqualification, the International Olympic Committee permitted Lin to compete in Paris. The IOC had stopped conducting sex tests in 1999, allowing individual Olympic committees to determine their own eligibility criteria.
Lin Yu-ting won Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics despite failing gender eligibility tests
|PA
Lin swept to gold with a 5-0 victory, though one match against Turkey's Esra Yildiz Kahraman drew boos from spectators after what appeared to be an illegal strike to the back of the opponent's head.
The introduction of mandatory genetic sex testing by World Boxing in August has effectively barred Lin from international competition. The new rules require all boxers over 18 to undergo PCR tests, with only athletes showing no Y chromosome permitted in women's events.
This policy change means Lin hasn't competed internationally since Paris, missing last month's World Championships in Liverpool - the first event organised by World Boxing after replacing the International Boxing Association.
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Fellow Olympic champion Imane Khelif faces the same restrictions but has taken legal action against the new requirements. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed on 5 August that the Algerian boxer had lodged an appeal challenging World Boxing's mandatory sex tests.
Both athletes have stated their intention to defend their gold medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lin declined to discuss the gender eligibility controversy after Tuesday's bout, stating only that "I am still adjusting to the 60-kilogram weight class." Coach Tseng Tzu-chiang described the match as "routine" and refused to comment on regulatory matters.
Lin Yu-ting expressed a desire to fight in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
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The boxer is competing under Taiwan's domestic rules, which don't require sex testing protocols. A victory at these National Games would mark Lin's seventh consecutive title in women's boxing at the event.
The participation has divided opinion among Taiwanese netizens, with many calling for Lin to retire from the sport.
"If you're not allowed to play internationally, why do you have to participate in the domestic competitions?" one forum user asked.
The Independent Council on Women's Sports condemned Lin's continued participation, with spokeswoman Marshi Smith calling it "a blatant violation of fairness" and "a grave safety risk to female opponents."