LIN YU-TING fights for Olympic featherweight gold on Friday.
But the Taiwanese titan will have to defeat one of the most unorthodox opponents of her career to win Olympic gold.
Standing between the 28-year-old – who has been at the centre of a gender row along with Algeria’s Imane Khelif – and glory at Paris 2024 is Poland‘s Julia Szeremeta.
The 20-year-old has booked her place in the final with wins over Venezuela’s Omailyn Alcala, Australia‘s Tina Rahimi, Puerto Rico’s Ashelyann Lozada and the Philippines’s Nestthy Petecio.
And she’s done so in a less-than-orthodox style, which includes plenty of showboating.
Szeremeta has showboated her way to the gold medal match, putting her hands down and even jumping up in the air in fights.
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But she’ll do well to pull off her antics against the ferocious Lin, who entered the tournament as the No1 seed.
She battered Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman with a cool and composed display of crisp technique and footwork to bag her third successive unanimous points win.
Lin’s performances have been overshadowed by the fierce debate over her participation in the Games.
Both Lin and Khelif – who is in the women’s welterweight final – are competing at the Games 18 months after allegedly failing gender eligibility tests.
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Olympics gender controversy
THE International Olympic Committee (IOC) stirred up a huge controversy by clearing two women to box who had previously failed a gender test.
Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting were disqualified at the Women’s World Championships in New Delhi, India, in March 2023.
Lin Yu-ting was stripped of a bronze medal after failing a gender eligibility test.
Khelif was disqualified in New Delhi for failing a testosterone level test.
Officials found tests showed they had ‘XY chromosomes’ — which indicates a person is biologically male.
Rare ‘intersex’ medical conditions, medically known as differences in sexual development (DSDs), can also mean outwardly female individuals can have ‘male’ chromosomes, or vice versa.
The Russia-led International Boxing Association organised that event but is no longer recognised by the IOC.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “These athletes have competed many times before for many years, they haven’t just suddenly arrived – they competed in Tokyo.
“The federation needs to make the rules to make sure that there is fairness but at the same time there is the ability for everyone to take part that wants to. That is a difficult balance.
“In the end the experts for each sport are the people who work in that. If there is a big advantage that clearly is not acceptable, but that needs to be a decision made at that level.”
Both Khelif and Lin competed at the delayed Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Lin is a two-time winner at the Asian Women Amateur Boxing Championships.
The IOC said all boxers in Paris “comply with the competition’s eligibility and entry regulations”.
The controversy follows the famous case of Caster Semenya.
South African middle-distance runner Semenya has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than normal for women.
She won gold in the 800m at London 2012 and Rio in 2016 but was unable to compete at Tokyo in 2021 after World Athletics brought in new rules independently of the IOC at the time.
Tests conducted by the Russian-backed IBA are said to have determined the duo tested positive for male XY chromosomes.
The duo were disqualified from the Women’s World Championships as a result of those tests.
But the women were permitted to compete by the International Olympic Committee, who cast doubt on the reliability of the tests.
The IBA, however, revealed this week that they WON’T be divulging details of the tests.
During a farcical press conference on Monday, IBA secretary general Chris Roberts said: “It’s never been our intention to bring any of this about.
“We’re not allowed to give any information, but you can read between the lines what it means.
“We’re not in a position to share any results, but the IOC have seen them.”
He added: “Yesterday evening and this morning, we’ve received letters from China and Algeria informing us we can’t disclose any info on boxers.
“You can see what that means – again read between the lines.”
Szeremeta isn’t immersing herself in the gender row and is focused solely on bringing gold back to her homeland.
She said: “There’s no point talking about the silver medal.
“I’m going for the gold,’ she said right after the fight.’
Szeremeta added: “I’m not afraid of anyone; I don’t feel respect.
“I go out and do my thing. I can’t wait for the final.
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“Another win gives me confidence, and I don’t feel any stress. I approach this like a regular tournament.
“I don’t think it’s the Games. I box in a relaxed way.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
