Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting will vie for an Olympic gold medal for the first time after securing a unanimous decision victory over Esra Yildiz Kahraman in the women’s 57kg semi-final.
Lin has faced a gender eligibility controversy after being barred by the International Boxing Association (IBA) from participating in last year’s world championships. Despite the significant uproar, she has remained focused on her objective and will compete against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the final.
The IBA, governed by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev and supported by the Russian state oil company Gazprom, was stripped of its recognition as boxing’s governing body and expelled from the Olympics due to various issues, including corruption and financial transparency concerns.
On Tuesday, Taiwan’s sports administration threatened the IBA with legal action for its “persistent dissemination of false information” regarding the eligibility status of Lin and Algeria’s Imane Khelif.
After the match, Lin and Kahraman shook hands, and the Turkish boxer briefly conversed with Lin’s long-time coach, John Tseng Tzu-Chiang, before assisting Lin in exiting the ring by opening the ropes.
As she returned to her corner, she made an ‘X’ sign with her fingers, presenting it to both sides of the ring. This gesture mirrored one made by Lin’s previous opponent, Svetlana Staneva, which some interpreted as a nod to XX chromosomes.
Lin entered the arena to cheers from a nearly full stadium, with chants of “Yu-Ting, Jia You” (“Come on, Yu-Ting”) echoing throughout the match. The crowd aimed to be fair to both competitors. While Kahraman landed several hits early on, Lin effectively controlled the initial phases, finishing the first round with all five judges scoring in her favor.
Lin kicked off the second round with a flurry of punches, using her height and reach to her advantage throughout the bout at her 5ft 9in frame.
Although Kahraman appeared more aggressive, throwing more punches and seeking closer contact, Lin showcased great confidence and fluidity, taking advantage of every opportunity to counterattack whenever Kahraman dropped her guard. Her performance was characterized by a smooth, cool demeanor.
With each round swaying in her favor across all judges, Lin seemed to gain more freedom in her performance. When announced as the victor, she bowed to the audience before exiting the ring.
At 28 years old, Lin is a two-time world champion competing in her second Olympics. She experienced defeat in the round of 16 at the Tokyo Games, losing to the Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio, who effectively neutralized Lin’s reach on her way to capturing a silver medal.
Petecio’s pursuit of a better medal was halted on Wednesday night when she lost to Szeremeta in the semi-finals. Szeremeta, a rising star at just 20 years old, has made her mark this week in Paris, making her Poland’s first boxing medallist at an Olympic Games since 1992.
Khelif has also advanced to the final in her category, the women’s 66kg event, where she will compete against Yang Liu from China.
