Lin Yu-ting says Paris gold made her consider retirement

Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting said she considered retiring after winning Olympic gold in Paris, but chose to continue in part to answer those who questioned her eligibility.

Lin told AFP that the Paris victory felt like a point at which she could leave the sport. “I achieved everything I had worked for. It seemed like a good moment to make a graceful exit,” she said.

Lin and Algeria’s Imane Khelif were at the centre of a gender eligibility dispute at the 2024 Games. The International Boxing Association had disqualified both from the 2023 world championships after saying they failed unspecified gender eligibility tests. The International Olympic Committee allowed them to compete in Paris and said they were victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision” by the IBA. Both boxers won gold.

Lin’s career was then on hold until March 2026, when World Boxing cleared her to return after a one-off sex test. She said continuing was also about loyalty to her team and seeing how far she could go.

“I’m able to continue competing now,” Lin said. “In a way that’s a rebuttal to many of the things people were saying before.”

Lin, 30, has moved up a weight class as she seeks a second straight Asian Games gold. She won at 57kg at the previous Asian Games and at the Paris Olympics, but will box at 60kg in Nagoya-Aichi when the Asian Games in Japan start on September 19.

Since returning to international competition, Lin has won bronze at 60kg at the Asian Elite Championships in Ulaanbaatar and silver at the World Boxing Cup in China.