《TAIPEI TIMES》 Lin, the pride of Taiwan, says president – 焦點

2024/08/12 03:00

CHAMPION: Lin Yu-ting overcame adversity and intense international scrutiny on her path to Olympic glory. She said it meant so much to win gold for her country

/ Employee, with CNA

Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) was named Olympic champion in the women’s 57 kg (featherweight) class on Saturday in Paris (Sunday in Taipei), despite being subjected to online abuse over the past two weeks due to gender misunderstandings.

Lin defeated Poland’s Julia Szeremeta by a unanimous 5-0 decision to take gold, completing a long journey of redemption after being knocked out in her opening match at the 2021 Tokyo Games.

Lin, who has been competing in women’s events since her boxing debut in September 2013, is the first Taiwanese boxer to win gold, after three other Taiwanese female boxers won bronze medals in their respective divisions in Tokyo and Paris.

No male boxer from Taiwan has ever won a medal at the Games.

Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria faced a storm of criticism over their gender identity during the Games, amid rising tensions between the International Boxing Federation (IBA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IBA was suspended from hosting Olympic boxing competitions in 2019 and stripped of its Olympic qualification last year due to governance issues and a lack of transparency.

However, that did not stop the organization from claiming during the Olympic Games that Lin and Khelif would not be allowed to participate in the women’s boxing event in Paris.

The charges stem from the disqualification of Lin and Khelif from last year’s IBA Women’s World Championships after they failed an undisclosed gender eligibility test, which has been criticized by the IOC.

The IOC said the two boxers were “victims of sudden and arbitrary decisions by the IBA” and has repeatedly reaffirmed both athletes’ eligibility for the Games over the past two weeks, citing their passports and that they were identified as female from birth.

Saturday’s victory saw Lin silence the noises from outside the ring.

After her victory, Lin kissed the mat and was visibly emotional during the medal ceremony, as the Taiwanese national anthem was played.

“From the time I started boxing until now, all the rigors of training came back to me,” she said.

“I had tears in my eyes because winning this medal means so much to my country. So many people in Taiwan have believed in me and supported me,” she added.

Lin responded to recent criticism of her due to gender misunderstandings. She said she avoided social media during the competition, choosing to focus solely on her performance and leaving the rest of the issues to her coach.

“As a top athlete, it’s crucial to stay focused on the competition,” she said. “I just need to know who my opponent is and how to prepare for the next match.”

Lin said she is extremely honored to have won the first boxing gold medal at the Taiwan Olympics and vowed to continue pushing herself.

“I believe I am here for a special purpose, and I will continue to work hard,” she said.

With her latest achievement, the 28-year-old fighter achieved a ‘grand slam’ in her amateur boxing career, adding to her two world championships, two Asian championships and one gold medal at the Asian Games.

President William Lai （賴清德） congratulated her on Facebook yesterday for winning the gold medal despite the “malicious attacks” from the IBA.

Lai stressed the great excitement in the country after Lin’s victory.

“I think all of us in Taiwan are as happy as I am, and we are proud of Lin Yu-ting,” he said.

The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) also congratulated Lin on Facebook.

“We are so proud of her hard-won and remarkable achievements,” the report said.

“Her perseverance and positive attitude were an inspiration to us all. She showed the world her incredible talent and resilience and brought honor to Taiwan,” it added.

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News source: TAIPEI TIMES

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