Storm erupts after boxer’s post-fight gesture, coach’s explosive sign

Boxing’s gender controversy reignited after the latest victim to fall to one of the fighters under a cloud made her feelings known.

The Taiwanese boxer engulfed in a major gender controversy at the Paris Olympics guaranteed herself at least bronze after convincingly winning her quarter-final on Sunday.

Lin Yu Ting, who together with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif is at the centre of a global storm over their eligibility, defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva in a unanimous points decision to reach the semi-finals of the women’s 57kg category.

With her second win of the tournament, the 28-year-old Lin is certain to win a medal because losing semi-finalists in the boxing take home bronze.

Khelif is also guaranteed at least bronze after winning her quarter-final on Saturday in the women’s 66kg division.

Lin found herself down on the canvas twice against Staneva, but neither time was because of a punch.

Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting gathers herself after being thrown to the ground. (Photo by MOHD RASFAN / AFP)

The Taiwanese fighter was the longer, faster and sharper fighter, edging a tight first round before dominating the rest of the fight.

Staneva’s frustration at getting beaten to the punch first boiled over in the second round when she grabbed and threw Lin to the ground, earning a reprimand from the referee and boos from the crowd.

Lin went down again in the third round as Staneva swung wildly, but it was because their legs tangled at the same time and was ruled a trip.

After a scrappy and tetchy fight, the 34-year-old Staneva made an X sign with her fingers to the crowd - tapping her fingers to indicate she was XX.

Clearly angry, she declined to speak to reporters.

But her coach Borislav Georgiev held a piece of paper with the words: “I’m XX. Save woman sport.”

In most cases, males have both an X and Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes.

Svetlana Staneva makes an X symbol to the crowd.

Svetlana's coach holds up an XX sign.

Bulgarian president Rumen Radev also weighed into the debate, sending congratulations to Staneva for her “fighting spirit”.

“She had the courage to fight not only for victory... but also to defend normality and the Olympic principles in sport,” he wrote on Facebook.

Lin will face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman on Wednesday in the semi-finals. The Taiwanese said she appreciated the support from people back home, where she has had the public backing of the government and fans.

“I just know that everyone is cheering for me and I know that all the people in Taiwan are behind me and support me,” she said.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified from last year’s world championships after failing gender eligibility tests, but were cleared to box in the French capital.

They also competed at the Tokyo Games in 2021 but did not win medals. Neither boxer is known to identify as transgender.

Lin and Staneva tangle. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

The controversy ignited on Thursday when Khelif needed just 46 seconds to win her opening bout in the French capital, forcing an abandonment against her hurt and tearful Italian opponent Angela Carini.

Carini, who suffered a badly hurt nose and was distressed, collapsed to the centre of the ring in tears.

Lin and the 25-year-old Khelif were disqualified from the 2023 world championships, run by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

The IBA said this week that the two boxers “did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognised test, whereby the specifics remain confidential”.

The boxing in Paris is organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which took over because of governance, financial and ethical issues at the IBA.

The IOC has leapt to the defence of Khelif and Lin, with president Thomas Bach on Saturday saying they were born and raised as women, and have passports saying that.

- with AFP