Julia Sheremeta was one of the biggest revelations of this year's Olympic Games. She made it all the way to the final, eliminating clear favorites along the way. Her great streak ended in the clash that decided the gold medalist. “The key was the advantage of distance, which Lin Yu-Ting used brilliantly. At the end of the third round, the wildly motivated Shelf She moved forward, but in a counterattack the Taiwanese broke her nose. And she became the Olympic champion, and our competitor won the silver medal” – This is how Hubert Pawlik from Sport.pl reported the fight.
Taiwan President Reacts to Lin Yu-Ting's Victory: Great Outrage at “Attacks”
Even though Szeremeta lost in the decisive fight, she still won the recognition of many fans and experts. “We are all extremely proud of her. She fought beautifully and bravely!”, “This silver in boxing is a great thing”, “In the category of 'expectations and reality' Julia Szeremeta did the most in Paris of all Poles” – they wrote. For the 20-year-old it was the greatest success in her career. Similarly for Lin Yu-Ting.
The Taiwanese woman could also count on warm words, especially from her compatriots. Even Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te spoke after her victory. He emphasized that the athlete could count on the great support of the citizens. They even “stayed up” all night to watch her fight“Congratulations to Lin Yu-Ting. She won the first Olympic gold medal in boxing for Taiwan. (…) I think everyone is excited and proud of their compatriot,” he wrote on Facebook.
And that wasn't the end of it. He also addressed the controversy that had arisen even before the Taiwanese athlete competed in the Olympic Games. It concerns the IBA decision to exclude the Taiwanese athlete and Imane Khelif from the World Championships in India. What was the reason?
The boxers were supposed to have – according to the organizers – too high testosterone levels. What's more, DNA tests allegedly showed the presence of male XY chromosomes in them. However, the IOC did not take these tests into account, considering them illegal and allowed the boxers to compete in the games, which caused a lot of controversy. The competitors received a lot of criticism, both from fansmedia and celebrities athletesincluding Martina Navratilova.
Lai Ching-te does not hide his indignation. In his opinion, this could have made Yu-Ting's fight at the event more difficult, but in the end, the Taiwanese athlete showed great mental resilience. “During the games, Yu-Ting fell victim to a series of malicious attacks by the IBA, which were neutralized by the IOC. She was under greater pressure than other athletes. In the face of these malicious and false rumors, the Taiwanese people united and did not allow Yu-Ting to become the target of disinformation,” he added.
“Yu-Ting, you are amazing! You have brought glory to Taiwan”
And finally, the president addressed the boxer directly. “Yu-Ting, you are amazing! What happened outside the ring did not affect your solid performance. You showed a greater fighting spirit than other competitors in this category. You also gained the support of competitors from all over the world who fought with you. You competed to prove your strength to the world and reach for the gold medal. (…) You brought glory to Taiwan,” he concluded.
Lin Yu-Ting is a decorated boxer. Her achievements include a world championship and a bronze medal in this event. She is also a two-time Asian champion.