Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan clinches first Olympic medal amid outcry tied to gender misconceptions
Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan has clinched her first Olympic medal in front of a crowd that chanted her name at the Paris Games
VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan clinched her first Olympic medal Sunday in front of a crowd that chanted her name, one day after fellow boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria secured one as well following days of online abuse and intense scrutiny about their participation at the Paris Games.
Lin defeated Svetlana Kamenova Staneva of Bulgaria 5:0 in a women's 57-kilogram quarterfinal, advancing to the semifinals and ensuring she will win at least a bronze medal.
Lin and Khelif have been at the center of a clash over gender identity and regulations in sports, as critics have brought up their disqualification from the world championships last year after the banned International Boxing Association claimed they failed unspecified eligibility tests for women's competition.
Lin, who will face Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey at Roland-Garros on Wednesday, said her goal is to keep going and become a gold medalist. She did not mention any of the online scrutiny of the past few days and said that she shut down her social media before her first Olympic fight.
