Of the two boxers competing for the men’s and women’s spots at the Paris Olympics, the second won the gold medal 24 hours after the first. Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting won the gold medal in a crushing victory over Polish youngster Julia Szeremeta in the women’s 57 kg final. Lin won every round by unanimous decision, controlling the match from the start and never once in danger, punching the air or hugging her coach.
The win confirmed Lin’s dominance, having not dropped a round in four matches in Paris. The 28-year-old is a two-time world champion but has never won an Olympic medal. He lost in the round of 16 at the 2020 Tokyo Games but proved invincible here, becoming Taiwan’s second gold medalist this summer.
Lin was enthusiastically welcomed by a throng of her compatriots at Roland Garros and sobbed uncontrollably as the Taiwanese national anthem was played at the medal ceremony. She shared hugs with Sierra Mehta and co-bronze medallists Nesty Petecio and Ella Yildiz Kahraman.
“I was so moved that I cried,” Lin said. “During the fight, images flashed through my mind and I remembered my early boxing career, with moments of great pain and moments of great joy.”
Lin and Imane Kherif, the Algerian fighter who won gold in the women’s 66kg on Friday, competed at the Olympics amid controversy. Both fighters were disqualified from last year’s world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) for failing gender tests. The IBA, run by Russian businessman Umar Kremlev and funded by Russia’s state oil company Gazprom, suspended their Olympic qualification in June 2023 over concerns over governance issues and corruption.
Earlier this month the IOC criticised the “arbitrary” tests imposed on Lin and Khelif, saying the IBA’s treatment of them had lacked due process and “due process”.
After walking past a crowd of about 100 fans waiting to cheer her on outside the court, Lin responded to a question about whether the controversy surrounding her participation, which has sparked fiercely polarized debate on social media and elsewhere, had permeated the Olympics. “As an elite athlete, it’s important to shut yourself off from social media and stay focused while competing,” she said. “Of course I heard some information from my coach, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I was invited by the IOC to participate in the Olympics, so I was focused on that.”
Lin’s victory came shortly after news broke through Kherif’s lawyer that Algerian national Kherif had filed a formal lawsuit, claiming to be the victim of online harassment over the controversy. Asked if he would consider taking similar action, Lin replied, “This is something to discuss with my team. We will decide on the next steps later.”
In the ring, Lin quickly dispatched Sheremeta, despite his opponent’s resilience, agility and attempts to use his notoriously aggressive style. Lin used his height to his advantage and moved with ease, gliding around the canvas, controlling the position and tempo of the fight, timing his attacks and remaining unhindered through the first two rounds.
After newsletter promotion
With nothing left to lose, Sheremeta fought back in the third round, throwing punches and leaving himself visibly bruised and bloody by the end. The bout ended amicably, with no repeat of the “X” gesture that Karaman and another previous opponent, Svetlana Staneva, had made after losses to Lin, which some had interpreted as a reference to XX chromosomes. However, Sheremeta took the loss in good grace, making a heart shape towards his supporters, bowing in all directions, and congratulating Lin before leaving the bout.
However, the runner-up was later asked about his political party affiliation. Sheremeta was a candidate for the far-right Konfederazia party in elections earlier this year, running unsuccessfully for a local seat in Lublin. Konfederazia’s social media activity, mainly through reposts on X, has questioned Lin’s eligibility to run, and its feed on Saturday night contained a number of what appeared to be insults against the winner. Asked if he supported these views, Sheremeta declined to comment.
In the end, the night was a victory for Lin and for those who have defended her. Earlier in the day, Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te had voiced his support for Lin in a post on X. “She embodies the strength of our nation,” he wrote. “She has faced adversity and senseless attacks from outside the ring with incredible grace and unwavering courage. We will be rooting for her to the end.”
Among the winners of the night was Uzbekistan’s super heavyweight Bakodir Yarolov, who defended his title with a dominant victory over Spain’s Ayoub Gadfa Drissi El Aissaoui. Compatriot Abdumalik Kharokov won the 57 kg final, while China’s Li Qian took gold in the women’s 75 kg division.
