Boxer Lin Yu-Ting wins gold medal after Olympic controversy

PARIS –Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting, 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.

"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.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Boxer Lin Yu-Ting wins gold medal after Olympic controversy