A female boxer made an “XX” chromosomes gesture after losing a women’s Olympics boxing match this weekend.
Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva lost to Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting in a quarterfinals match on Sunday morning.
Yu-Ting is one of two female boxers at the Summer Olympics who failed to qualify for the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championship due to high testosterone levels. Both she and Imane Khelif were found to have testosterone levels exceeding the allowable limits for female competitors.
On Sunday morning, Lin defeated Staneva by a unanimous decision. Following the match, Staneva reportedly made an “XX” gesture to the crowd, signifying female chromosomes.
“Lin Yu-Ting, who failed a sex test ahead of the World Cup but fights at the Olympics, just defeated Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva. After her defeat, she refused to shake hands and made an ‘X’ with her fingers to signal that she has XX chromosomes,” an observer noted.
RELATED: Imane Khelif Delivers Powerful Message to Olympic Critics After Securing Medal
Staneva’s coach, Borislav Georgiev, voiced his frustration following the loss.
“You could see that the representative of Taiwan did not want to fight; she was running all the time, playing dirty as hell. The very first round warranted an official warning for an elbow,” Georgiev said, per Reuters. “And these circus acts, when she fell … In general, I am indignant at the funfair that is taking place. They have decided to make them champions and that’s it. I expected it, but I hope there are reasonable and honest people who will watch the game and support women’s sports.”
Lin Yu-Ting is set to face Turkey’s Esra Yildiz in a semifinal match on Tuesday.
