Paris: Lin Yu Ting of Chinese Taipei won the gold medal in the women’s 57kg weight class of boxing at the Paris Olympics despite the ongoing row over her gender eligibility.
The Taipei pugilist defeated Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in a 5-0 unanimous decision at Stade Roland-Garros, a day after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif became the welterweight champion amid the gender row.
It was a historic moment for a two-time world champion Lin, who became the first boxer from Chinese Taipei to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. She was the high favourite against the 20-year-old Pole. Lin not only used her longer reach in this final but she stepped into closer range with heavy shots to earn Chinese Taipei’s first-ever gold medal in Olympic boxing.
Lin is one of two boxers competing in Paris despite being disqualified from last year’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after she was reported to have failed gender eligibility tests.
Lin and Khelif were previously disqualified from last year’s Women’s World Championships after failing gender eligibility tests conducted by the Russia-led International Boxing Association (IBA).
The IBA had stripped both athletes of their medals and barred them from participating in the women’s competition to maintain fairness.
However, both boxers have now been cleared to compete in the Olympics, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) bases gender eligibility on the athlete’s passport gender.
During the fight, I saw images flashing and I thought about the beginning of my career when I started boxing. All the different practices, times I got injured and competitors I fought against, all these images flashed in my head. There were times of great pain, and times of great joy. I cried (at the victory ceremony) because I represented my country and I got the gold medal,” Lin was quoted by the organisers.
IANS
