Many groups opposed Lin Yu-ting and Iman Khalif’s participation in the Paris Olympics. Last year, the female athletes were disqualified from the world championships organized by the International Boxing Federation, after the federation’s president, Umar Krimlov, accused them of being men.
The International Olympic Committee defended the athletes. The committee issued an official statement confirming that there were no obstacles to Yu Ting and Khalif’s participation in the women’s tournament. It was also found that the IBA’s decision last year was arbitrary and did not meet official requirements (more: here).
In the end, both boxers won gold medals. Khalif won the 66kg boxing championship on Friday. Yu Ting defeated Julia Zeremeta in the 57kg final the following day.
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The Taiwanese took advantage of her reach and scored points on our opponent throughout the fight, dominating the course of the fight. In the end, she won by unanimous decision from the judges. Her four fights in Paris ended with this ruling.
During the medal ceremony, Yu Ting could not hold back her emotions and tears streamed down her cheeks. She also relived this moment during the press conference.
“I cried because I was so moved. During the fight, I saw flashing images and thought about the beginning of my career when I started boxing. There were moments of intense pain and joy,” she said.
The Taiwanese also commented on the many voices that criticized her performance in Paris. The 28-year-old admitted that she tried to distance herself from the negative comments, but they sometimes reached her.
– For a professional athlete during competition, it is important to disconnect from social media and focus on your performance. Of course, I heard some opinions about me from the coach, but I did not pay much attention to them. She said: “I was invited by the International Olympic Committee to participate in the Games and that is what I focused on.”
After Imane Khelif’s recent fight in Paris, her lawyer announced that the Algerian considers herself a victim of online harassment and wants to file a lawsuit. Yu Ting does not rule out such a move.
“This is something I will discuss with my team,” she said at a news conference. “I will decide later what the next step is.”
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