Gender-row boxer Lin Yu-ting ‘blocks out outside noises’ to reach Asian Games final

NAGOYA – Inside a gymnasium in Nishio City, a historic castle town in Aichi Prefecture, some 15 supporters are on their feet as one of them furiously swirls a Chinese Taipei flag above his head.

Around them, the 200-strong crowd scattered in the stands watch in silence as Lin Yu-ting, clad in red, has her hand raised high after a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova to book her place in the women’s 60kg final.

Minutes later, the 30-year-old emerges in the media mixed zone, a tiny ponytail perched atop her head and beads of sweat still trickling down her forehead. She takes a quick swig of water handed to her by coach Tseng Tzu-chiang before standing in front of a scrum of about 10 reporters from Chinese Taipei, squeezed shoulder to shoulder to prise a soundbite from the Taiwanese star.

There is no doubt Lin is a national sporting icon. Her gold at Paris 2024 made her the island’s first Olympic boxing champion, an achievement that was celebrated back home.

But the adulation has not quite travelled beyond Taiwan’s shores.

In Paris, Lin and Algeria’s Imane Khelif found themselves in a controversial gender row, after the International Boxing Association (IBA) said it would sue the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – which organised the Olympic boxing competition – over their inclusion at the Games.

Neither Khelif nor Lin are transgender and despite being born and raised as women, the duo became embroiled in debates about gender, sex and sports after allegedly failing the unspecified eligibility tests for women’s competition.

The gender controversy was fuelled further when public figures like United States President Donald Trump and British author J.K. Rowling said that Lin and Khelif should not be allowed to compete against women.

On Sept 30, when asked by The Straits Times how she has dealt with the noise, and what advice she would give others in a similar situation, Lin gave a wry smile before she answered in English: “Just close social media.”

She continued in Mandarin: “The most important thing for me is the match, so I basically block out those outside voices, I just deleted those social media apps, and focused on the training given to me by the coach, as well as my own preparation on the competition field.

“To be honest, it (the noise) doesn’t have much to do with me because I feel that since I can stand in the ring, it means I have already proven everything. I don’t need to explain anything extra to others because they are not the ones competing, I am the one competing.”

Lin and Khelif both went on to win gold at the 2024 Olympics, a year after they were disqualified from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA.

The IBA said later in a statement that “the test conclusively indicated that both athletes did not meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors”.

Just as she has fielded countless questions about the issue, Lin has continued to pair her boxing prowess with remarkable grace and resilience in the face of intense cyberbullying and disinformation. The athlete has emerged as an inspiration and role model for others battling their own naysayers.

“Of course, they (critics) have their own thoughts, and we have no way to change them,” she said.

“We just do our best to be ourselves. I think for me, the best way to prove myself is to prove it to others with my life.”

In order to do that, Lin had to first fight for her right to compete. After the Olympics, her boxing career was placed on hiatus as she endured 19 months in limbo.

World Boxing took over the governance of the sport from the IBA after the 2024 Olympics and introduced a new eligibility policy in August 2025 that includes mandatory sex testing. The former confirmed in March 2026 that Lin, who had missed a number of competitions since the policy was introduced, would be eligible to compete at its events after undergoing the governing body’s new sex test.

Lin later told the media that she had considered retiring, but wanted to carry on fighting in part to defy those who questioned her eligibility.

In Nagoya, Lin, who won gold in the 57kg women’s division at the last Games, has stepped up a weight class as she pursues a second gold. She will face Yang Chengyu of China in the final on Oct 2.

While the switch has not come easy, Lin has fought on.

She said: “The idea of ​​moving up a weight class is something I’ve had since the Olympics. However, a series of issues along the way meant I only got the chance to compete at this level this year. Looking back, I suppose I was a bit fearless or perhaps just a bit overconfident thinking I’d try challenging myself in a higher weight class. Little did I know, moving up wasn’t going to be easy.

“All along, I’ve been growing through setbacks, striving to become stronger and more resilient especially so I wouldn’t end up being tossed around like a toy by my opponents in future matches.”

In the ring and outside the ropes, Lin will not let detractors land a knockout blow.