Author(s): WU, Y.T., CHIN, H., Institution: NATIONAL KAOHSIUNG NORMAL UNIVERSITY , Country: TAIWAN, Abstract-ID: 410

The first transgender athlete was included at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and made a big splash in the international sporting world. Looking back at the controversy surrounding the participation of transgender athletes, in the 1960’s of Taiwan, there was already a transgender athlete, Yao Li-li, competed on the athletic field. It is intriguing that this once highly publicized figure has largely been forgotten by the Taiwanese public.This research employs historical research methods to collect official documents, newspapers, magazines, visual materials, and interviews with relevant individuals. The aim is to compile and explore the brief yet legendary athletic career of intersex track and field athlete Yao Li-li. With our investigation, this research found: 1. Yao Li-li was born with intersex characteristics, raised as a girl by her parents, but also exhibited male traits. She then achieved remarkable results as her first appearance in the 1963 National High School Games (the 12th Taiwan Provincial High School Games), winning second place in the 200 meters and first place in the shot put. This marked the beginning of her track and field career. 2. In 1964, she won gold in both the 100 meters and 200 meters at the National Games (the 19th Taiwan Province Games), her name received recognition overnight. In 1966, Yao teamed up with Yeh Chiu-mei, Tien A-mei, and Lin Chun-yu, shattered the Asian Games 400 meters relay record with 47.70 seconds, astonished the Asian sport community. 3. In 1966, as she prepared to participate in the Bangkok Asian Games, the organizing committee required gender testing for all female athletes. This revealed Yao Li-lis intersex identity, leading her to withdraw from the Asian Games. Despite underwent treatment and surgery at the end of the year to become a female, the social mores and pressures pushed her to retire from sports permanently. To sum, the focusing and embrace of transgender athletes in the Tokyo Olympics is undoubtedly a perfect embodiment of the Olympic spirit. Regrettably, in Yao Li-lis era of the 1960s, conservative social mores not only hindered the acceptance of intersex individuals in the society but also stripped them of the right to participate in sports, the hope in returning to athletic competitions was never realized.