Marcus Erikson-Boxer Lin Yu-Ting wins gold medal after Olympic controversy

2025-05-07 11:03:54source:Evander Reedcategory:Markets

PARIS –Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting,Marcus Erikson one of two female boxers targeted in a “gender eligibility’’ controversy at the Paris Olympics, capped the turbulent experience in similar fashion.

Triumphantly.

Lin won a gold medal Saturday night by beating Poland’s Julia Szeremeta on points by unanimous decision in the finals of the women’s featherweight division (126 pounds) at Roland-Garros Stadium. Leading with a crisp jab, Lin won the first two rounds convincingly and danced free from trouble in the third round.

She wept during the medal ceremony. Later, she indicated the emotion stemmed from something other than the controversy.

"During the fight, I saw images flashing and I thought about the beginning of my career, when I started boxing,'' Lin told reporters. "All the difficult practices, the times I got injured, the competitors I fought against.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

"There were times of great pain, times of great joy. I cried because I was so touched. I represent my country, I got the gold medal. I want to thank all the people in Taiwan who supported me, from the beginning to the end.''

Her the victory came one night after Algeria’s Imane Khelif won a gold medal by beating China’s Yang Liu in the finals of the women’s welterweight (146 pounds) division.

Both Lin and Khelif have been subjected to abuse on social media and inaccurate online speculation about their sexes even though the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said they both have met all criteria and that there’s no question they are women.

As an elite athlete, Lin said, it was important to shut herself off from social media.

"Of course I heard some of the information through my coach, but I didn't pay too much mind to it,'' she said. "I was invited by the IOC to compete at the Games, this is what I focused on.

"For me, focusing on the competition, that's what an elite athlete should do. As for all the noise, during the competition, I shut off all social media. I wasn't able to receive information from outside. I only focused on my competitor.''

While Khelif called for an end to the bullying and spoke out against “the enemies of success,’’ Lin limited her public comments during the ordeal. But like Khelif, she thrived inside the boxing ring.

Lin, 28, won each of her first three bouts on points by unanimous decision before advancing to the final.

More:Markets

Recommend

Elon Musk wants to turn SpaceX’s Starbase site into a Texas city

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — SpaceXis launching a new mission: making its Starbase site a new Texas city. B

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, 90, falls at home and goes to hospital, but scans are clear, her office says

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress, fell in her home and we

U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for missing diver at Florida Keys shipwreck: This was a tragic accident

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a 44-year-old man who went missing during a dive to a