There’s been lots of drama surrounding the women’s boxing portion of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, especially surrounding Taiwanese female boxer Lin Yu-Ting.
Rumors of transgender athletes competing have been surrounding Algerian Imane Khelif and now Lin. This time, the headline doesn’t completely revolve around those rumors and what happened inside the ring.
Lin caught major backlash for what she did to Turkish opponent Ezra Kahraman. As seen in the video, she was caught hitting Kahraman in the back of the head with what is called a rabbit punch, which is against the rules and could lead to fatal injuries.
The fans, coaches, and commentators weren’t unafraid to voice their displeasure.
“That was perilously close to being more than a ticking-off for me. That was quite a long time after the break and in full knowledge that her opponent had turned around, but Lin got away with that,” said the commentator.
Lin would go on to win the match 5-0 and only continued to ignite the controversy surrounding her ability to continue participating in the Olympics.
Lin Yu-Ting and Imane Khelif Set To Compete For Gold Medal
Possibly one of the most anticipated gold medal matches of the 2024 Olympics will be between Khelif and Lin in the women’s 66kg bracket.
It’s not necessarily because of support either, as both their names have been surrounded by controversy as to whether or not they should have been disqualified from the tournament due to being born with XY chromosomes.
Last year, both were disqualified from the boxing World Championships for that reason. Still, the International Olympic Committee stands with both women and their ability to continue competing in the Olympic games.
“These athletes have been competing in senior competitions for six years with no issues. These women were eligible for this contest, remain eligible for this contest, and compete in this contest,” said Mark Adams, spokesperson for the IOC.
