Taiwanese boxer punches finals slot

PARIS, France (AFP) — Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting called it “a tough journey” after winning again at the Paris Olympics to ensure that the two boxers at the center of a major gender controversy are into their respective finals.

A day after Algeria’s Imane Khelif reached the 66-kilogram women’s gold-medal match, Lin claimed a unanimous points decision victory over Esra Yildiz Kahraman at 57-kg in her semifinal.

After the decision came through, the Turk made an X sign with her fingers to the crowd, just like another of Lin’s beaten opponents had in a previous bout. Kahraman declined to say afterwards what it meant.

In most cases, males have both an X and Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes.

Lin and Khelif both fought at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago but there was no controversy at the time and neither won a medal.

Both were disqualified from last year’s world championships after failing gender eligibility tests, but were cleared to compete in Paris.

“The feeling of entering the gold-medal match is one of gratitude to myself for making it this far,” the 28-year-old Lin said.