Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting beats Uzbek Turdibekova amid fierce gender row

PARIS - Taiwan's double world champion Lin Yu-ting, one of two boxers at the heart of a gender row, won her featherweight round of 16 bout against Uzbekistan's Sidora Turdibekova on points by unanimous decision at the Paris Olympics on Friday.

The 28-year-old Taiwanese, along with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif who won her round of 16 welterweight fight on Thursday against Italy's Angela Carini in 46 seconds, have been in the spotlight of the gender row after being cleared to compete in the Olympics.

Both had been disqualified at the 2023 World Championships after failing International Boxing Association eligibility rules that prevent athletes with male XY chromosomes competing in women's events.

The boxing competition in Paris is run by the International Olympic Committee after it stripped the IBA's international recognition in 2023 over governance and finance issues, and the IOC has said the women have every right to compete in Paris.

Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women's competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.

Differences of Sexual Disorder are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs. Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.

The IOC said the IBA decision to disqualify the boxers last year was arbitrary and the main cause for the furore that has seen people like J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk voice their opposition to them competing in the Games.

Following Khelif's quick win on Thursday that had drawn the ire of Italian Primer Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said it was not a fight among equals given the Algerian's physical advantage, hundreds of media had gathered for Lin's fight.

But the Uzbek was not prepared to be easy prey to her opponent, only narrowly losing the first round and with one of judges even scoring the round in her favour.

The taller Lin, however, was never really threatened, and landed a big right in the second round that rattled Turdibekova.

With chants of "Uzbekistan" echoing through the North Paris Arena the Uzbek fighter tried to come back in the third but it was Lin who had the upper hand and got her Games' opening win.

Both fighters refused to talk to the press following their bout with the Uzbek passing past reporters in tears.

Lin next faces Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria in the quarter-finals.

The IOC has said the rules of eligibility are based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and cannot be changed during a competition. It has also called for the creation of a new international body that would then decide on eligibility criteria.

—Reuters