Boxing, Olympics 2024: Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting wins gold amidst gender row in Paris
Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif have been the two fighters at the centre of a major gender controversy in Paris.
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Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting won her 2024 Paris Olympics women’s boxing final on Saturday in style, ensuring that the two fighters at the centre of a major gender controversy both take home gold.
A day after Algeria’s Imane Khelif clinched gold at 66kg, Lin sobbed on the podium having claimed the 57kg crown with a unanimous points decision win over Poland’s Julia Szeremeta.
Lin bowed to all four sides of the arena, before kneeling down and banging the canvas with her fists.
During the medal ceremony, the 28-year-old was initially composed, before breaking down in tears as she stood atop the podium.
Lin said she had tried to block out all the “noise” over the past fortnight, during which she and Khelif had come under intense scrutiny.
“As an elite athlete it is important to shut myself off from social media and focus,” she said.
“Some of the noise and news of course I heard through my coach, but I did not pay much attention.”
Lin and Khelif have been the central figures in a furore that has drawn fire from the likes of Donald Trump and Harry Potter author JK Rowling.
Both boxers were disqualified from last year’s world championships after failing gender eligibility testing, with Lin stripped of her bronze, only to be cleared to compete in the French...
