Bulgarian Olympic boxer Svetlana Staneva’s loss to Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting in the women’s 57kg division on Sunday appeared to ignite a fierce debate over gender eligibility.
Staneva lost by unanimous decision to Lin, who advanced to the semifinals and is guaranteed to win at least a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
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Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting (left) competes against Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Sunday, Aug. 4. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubilos)
The Taiwanese boxer has been at the center of a debate over gender eligibility. The International Boxing Association (IBA) has disqualified Lin from the 2023 World Championships. At the time, the IBA president said Lin had tested positive for “XY chromosomes.” The IBA has defended the decision, saying Lin was one of the boxers who had an unfair advantage.
As the controversy raged, Staneva appeared to add fuel to the fire with a gesture after her loss, pointing her fingers to make an “X.” Olympic fans suggested that by making two “Xs,” Staneva was indicating that she has XX chromosomes, meaning she is a woman.
Daily Mail Other social media users also captured Staneva’s actions.
Former Olympian says boxer at centre of gender eligibility debate ‘should not be treated this way’
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defended the inclusion of Lin and Algeria’s Imane Khelif in the women’s boxing competition, with IOC president Thomas Bach saying scrutiny of their eligibility because of their gender was paramount to “hate speech”.
Svetlana Staneva hits Lin Yuting during a match at the Summer Olympics in Paris, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubilos)
“We will not take part in politically motivated culture wars,” Bach said as he sought to rein in the oversight.
“It is completely unacceptable that such hate speech, attacks and abuse are rampant on social media and fuelled by this plan.”
Bach argued that both Kheriff and Lin are women.
Lin Yuting celebrates after defeating Svetlana Staneva on the ninth day of the Olympic Games at the Arena Nord de Paris in Villepinte, France, on August 4, 2024. (Mehmet Murat Oner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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“We have two boxers who were born female, raised female, have female passports and have competed as female for many years,” she said. “Some people want to define for themselves what it means to be a woman.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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