TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese sports doping expert is questioning the International Boxing Association's (IBA) understanding of modern medicine as it doubles down on claims that Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif failed gender tests in 2023.
Hsu Mei-chich (許美智), a professor at Kaohsiung Medical University's Department of Sports Medicine and an honorary head of the Taiwan Anti-Doping Association on Monday (Aug. 5) told CNA that the IBA did not explain what kind of testing was done, which was unfair to Lin. Hsu criticized the IBA for singling out the athletes, “There should be clear regulations and public announcements before the competition, rather than suddenly requiring athletes to undergo blood tests.”
“The IBA's understanding of modern medical knowledge on gender and ability to interpret the test results accurately is questionable,” said Hsu.
Hsu pointed out that a physician determined Lin was female when she was born, and her ID card and passport have always listed her as a female. She said Lin has always competed as a female athlete, and her gender cannot be determined solely based on appearance, hormone levels, or chromosomes.
Hsu explained that current medical research has found that looking solely at testosterone levels or chromosomes may lead to inaccurate conclusions. “Some people have female sexual characteristics, but their testosterone levels are relatively high, while others, even if they have a Y chromosome may not develop testes due to deficiencies in gene proteins.”
According to Hsu, in both in-competition and out-of-competition urine tests, doping control officers are usually present to observe, which can indirectly confirm her being female. “I believe Yu-ting has been sampled many times, both domestically and internationally. If there were any issues, the International Olympic Committee would not allow her to compete now,” said Hsu.
On Monday, the IBA, which was stripped of its status as the global governing body of boxing by the International Olympic Committee, held a press conference that was mired by a late start, sound issues, and the IBA's Russian President Umar Kremlev's "lengthy rants,” per Reuters. IBA Chief Executive Chris Roberts said he could not release the details of Lin and Khelif's gender tests but claimed, “The results of the chromosome tests demonstrated both boxers were ineligible.”
At a press conference on Sunday (Aug. 4), IOC spokesperson Mark Adams slammed the legitimacy of IBA's tests, saying, “The tests themselves, the process of the tests, the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate,” reported ABC News. He added that the IBA's testing process is flawed, "From the conception of the test, to how the test was shared with us, to how the tests have become public, is so flawed that it's impossible to engage with it."
