Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan wins her opening bout at Paris Olympics

Villepinte: Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won her opening Olympic boxing bout on Friday, beating Sitora Turdibekova 5:0 in the women’s 57-kilogram division.

Lin and fellow women’s boxer Imane Khelif of Algeria were disqualified from the world championships held last year by the International Boxing Association for supposedly failing gender eligibility tests, and their presence at the Paris Olympics has become a divisive international issue.

Lin entered the ring at the North Paris Arena to a chorus of cheers from the French crowd. Her headgear became dislodged in the first minute during a clinch, but she won the first round on four of five scorecards.

Lin is well-known in international competitions for being taller and more slender than most of her fellow competitors at 57 kilos while using her quickness and superior reach to land significant punches.

She won the final two rounds 5:0 on all five cards against Turdibekova, who shook hands with Lin before the verdict was announced. Lin bowed to the crowd before leaving the ring.

On her walk back to the dressing room, she stopped and waved at her cheering fan section, touching her hand to her heart, and later hugged some of her supporters.

Lin advanced to the quarterfinals on Sunday. The two-time Olympian would clinch her first medal with one more victory.

Lin is the top seed in the women’s 57-kilogram category in Paris, although Olympic seeding is frequently unindicative of a boxer’s medal

chances.