Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting and Algeria's Imane Khelif, who have been the subjected to scrutiny, criticisms, and bullying regarding their gender at the start of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, have both reached the gold medal round in boxing.
Khelif asked the public to refrain from bullying, as it "destroys people".
The two boxers have been thrust in the spotlight, as they were disqualified International Boxing Association (IBA) disqualified them during the 2023 World Championship for failing eligibility criteria. The federation denied it was a testosterone test, but did not specify what examination was conducted.
[ALSO READ: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who faced gender test issues, wins after opponent quits in Paris 2024]
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) though defended the two boxers, maintaining their eligibility through the organization's own rules, the athletes' passports, and their history of competing in international events.
[ALSO READ: EXPLAINED | IOC defends boxers Imane Khelif, Lin Yu-ting in Paris 2024 controversy, IBA reiterates their ineligibility]
The actual testing done has been called into question, with the IOC declaring it "so flawed".
Lin Yu-ting on the road to redemption
Lin Yu-ting breezed through the semifinals of the women's 57kg division, earning a unanimous decision in all three rounds against Turkiye's Esra Yildiz Kahraman.
All five judges scored the bout 30-27 for Lin.
The boxer acknowledged the crowd and went to her Turkish opponent, spoke to Yildiz Kahraman for a few seconds before exiting the ring.
The Turkish boxer then went to the center of the ring and raised her hands to form an X sign with her fingers.
The result is already a marked improvement for Lin, as she will be assured of at least a silver.
She exited Tokyo 2020 in the round of 16 at the hands of the Philippines' Nesthy Petecio--who eventually won silver. Ironically, the Filipina will be settling for bronze in Paris 2024.
Julia Szeremeta of Poland, who beat Petecio in the semifinals, will be Lin's gold medal opponent.
Imane Khelif: Bullying can destroy people
Algeria's Imane Khelif, meanwhile, defeated Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng in the semifinals--also via unanimous decision. The embattled boxer will face China's Yang Liu in the women's 66kg finals for the gold.
If Khelif wins, she will win Algeria's first Olympic gold medal in women's boxing.
Speaking to SNTV after the semifinals, Khelif called on the public to refrain from bullying.
"I send a message to all the people of the world to uphold the Olympic principles, according to the Olympic Charter, to refrain from bullying all athletes because this thing has effects, massive effects. It can destroy people, it can kill people's thoughts, spirit, and mind. And it can divide people. And because of that, I ask them to refrain from bullying, and that's it," Khelif said in Arabic.
She declined to answer when asked whether she had undergone tests other than doping tests, saying she didn't want to talk about it.
But her coach Mohamed Chaoua claimed IBA's tests were questionable and only took blood samples.
"In the Algerian state these matters of gender changing is not allowed, even in developing country this operations are costly, if Imene had the fund to do as people are alleging and accusing her she'd rather feed herself, buy bread and clothes and live like the rest of friends," he added in Arabic.
IOC: Testing on Lin, Khelif was "so flawed"
The IOC called into question the tests conducted on the two boxers.
Spokesman Mark Adams noted on August 4 how only Lin and Khelif were singled out for tests because of "suspicions".
He also pointed out how IBA refused to specify the kind of test that was conducted.
"I mean, the fact is the process is as far as we know, those are the only two, there were suspicions against them. And I need hardly say if we start acting on suspicions against every athlete of whatever, then we go down a very bad route," Adams said in a press conference.
"But there's a whole range of reasons why we won't deal with this, partly confidentiality, partly medical issues, partly that there was no basis for the test in the first place and partly data sharing of this is also highly against the rules, international rules."
IBA said in an early statement that the athletes "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential."
"It's so flawed that it's impossible to engage with it. It doesn't mean that there can't be a process in the future, that we can't discuss this but this specific test, and also with the credibility of the IBA as it is. It doesn't give any credibility to those to those tests or the method in which those tests were carried out," Adams said.
IBA: Blood tests done on only four fighters, showed elevated levels of testosterone
Two days later, IBA held a press conference to address issues.
The federation, which was stripped of recognition by the IOC due to reported corruption scandals, still refused to disclose nearly all details about the tests and their results or methodologies leading to the disqualifications of Khelif of Algeria and Lin of Taiwan.
Chris Roberts, the IBA's secretary general and CEO, claimed that the Olympic committees of Algeria and Taiwan wrote letters to the IBA asking them not to disclose information about the boxers at the news conference in Paris.
But the former chairperson of its medical committee, a Greek obstetrician named Ioannis Filippatos, said the IBA did blood tests on only four of the hundreds of fighters at the 2022 world championships.
The IBA said it tested Khelif and Lin in response to complaints from other teams, apparently acknowledging an uneven standard of profiling that is considered widely unacceptable in sports.
IBA President Umar Kremlev, an acquaintance of Russian President Vladimir Putin who spoke on a patchy Zoom from Russia, then said through a translator that the tests showed elevated levels of testosterone.
That appears in direct contradiction with an IBA statement from July 31, when it said Khelif and Lin "did not undergo a testosterone examination but were subject to a separate and recognized test, whereby the specifics remain confidential."
(With reports from SNTV)