Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting struggled to contain her emotions after striking gold in the women’s 57kg category at the Olympics. Lin has been one of two fighters at the centre of a gender eligibility row throughout the Games alongside Algerian counterpart Imane Khelif.
Lin secured Olympic glory in emphatic fashion with a dominant victory over Julia Szeremeta of Poland in the gold medal match on Saturday night. She won every round on the scorecards and was never at risk of losing the fight, having controlled proceedings from start to finish.
The 29-year-old, who did not drop a single round across any of her four Olympic bouts, sobbed uncontrollably as the Taiwan national anthem rang out during the medal ceremony. She later explained that she was ‘touched’ by the occasion as she reflected on her journey up to that point.
“I cried because I was so touched,” said Lin. “During the fight, I saw images flashing and I thought about the beginning of my career when I started boxing. There were times of great pain and joy.”
Lin’s participation at the Olympics sparked no shortage of controversy given that she failed a gender test laid on by the International Boxing Association last year. The organisation is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee, who do not subject their athletes to the same testing.
Umar Kremlev, president of the IBA, allegedly said that Lin and Khelif were found to have had XY chromosomes but no evidence has been put forward to support this claim. The IBA had its Olympic status revoked last year due to concerns around governance issues and corruption allegations.
Reflecting on the gender saga after collecting her gold medal, Lin said: “During the competition it’s important to shut myself off from social media and focus. I heard some of the information through my coach but I didn’t pay too much mind to it. I was invited by the IOC to participate in the Games and this is what I focused on.”
Lin’s victory came after it was revealed that Khelif had submitted a legal complaint in France due to ‘aggravated online harassment’. The Algerian fighter was subjected to a high degree of vitriol on social media networks throughout the Games following the spread of misinformation.
Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, said in a statement: “The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching.”
