VILLEPINTE, France – Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won her first Olympic medal on Sunday in front of a crowd chanting her name, a day after fellow boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria also won one after days of online abuse and intense scrutiny over their participation in the Paris Games.
Lin defeated Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria 5-0 in the women’s 57-kilogram quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals and ensuring she would win at least a bronze medal.
Lin and Khelif have been at the center of a conflict over gender identity and sporting regulations, as critics raised the issue of their disqualification from the world championships last year after the banned International Boxing Association alleged they were failed unspecified eligibility tests for women’s competitions.
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Lin, who will face Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey at Roland-Garros on Wednesday, said her goal is to move forward and become a gold medalist. She did not mention any of the online scrutiny of recent days and said she closed her social media accounts before her first Olympic fight.
“I want to thank all of Taiwan’s supporters,” she said.
Staneva appeared to pass by Lin immediately after the fight, but after the referee announced the decision and raised Lin’s hand as the winner, Staneva walked over and sat on the rope on her opponent’s side and opened the rope for Lin to come out.
Staneva, a 34-year-old amateur boxing veteran, lost a close fight to Lin in the semifinals of the 2023 world championships in India. The win was changed to no contest by the IBA, who claimed that Lin had failed an unspecified eligibility test.
The IBA has been banned from participating in the Olympics since 2019, following years of criticism from the International Olympic Committee, including concerns about the administration of the competitions and financial transparency. The IBA has refused to release any details about its testing, classifying the information as confidential.
Both Lin and Khelif have won support from their countries amid the protests, which have included comments from former US President Donald Trump, “Harry Potter” writer JK Rowling and others making false claims about being male or transgender.
See more information: Taiwan turns on JK Rowling for sparking gender controversy in Olympic boxing
Khelif was applauded during his thrilling victory over Anna Luca Hamori of Hungary on Saturday night. Many fans at the North Paris Arena were draped in Algerian flags and chanting her name. She wiped away her tears when it was all over and cried as she left the arena.
Lin bowed to the crowd before and after Sunday’s fight, looking at the fans before hugging his trainers and leaving the ring.
She also received support from former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on social media on Friday when Lin defeated Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan 5-0 in her first fight.
“When I met boxer Lin Yu-ting, I saw an athlete fearless in the face of challenges, whether inside or outside the ring,” Tsai wrote. “Today, when she represents Taiwan on the Olympic stage, we will stand behind her and all Taiwanese Olympians, making us proud.”
Lin is competing in her third Olympics and is a two-time IBA world champion (2018 and 2022). She competed in elite amateur boxing for a decade. Neither Lin nor Khelif, who is 25 and a six-year veteran, were sanctioned before last year’s world championships.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
