Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting is now closer to winning an Olympic title following her unanimous decision victory over Turkey’s Esra Yildiz in the semifinals of the women’s featherweight category. Lin, a double world champion, along with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, has been at the center of a gender debate during the Paris 2024 Olympics, which has sparked significant discussion on social media.

After her match on Wednesday, Yildiz was seen crossing her fingers, but later declined to comment on the reason for this gesture. The 28-year-old Lin is aiming to secure Taiwan’s first Olympic boxing title, with the country having previously won only three bronze medals in the sport. Lin will face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the finals on Saturday.

“The feeling of entering the gold medal match is a thank you to myself for getting this far,” Lin told reporters. “After being eliminated in the first round at the Tokyo Olympics, it has been a tough journey to reach the final. I will use everything I have learned in my life to do my best in the next match. I thank everyone in Taiwan for their support, even late at night.”

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te expressed his support for Lin on his Facebook page on Wednesday, prior to her match, stating that Lin had been “maliciously attacked” by the International Boxing Association (IBA). “There is no doubt about Yu-Ting’s right to compete, and the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has repeatedly publicly supported her,” he said.

The controversy surrounding Lin and Khelif arose after Khelif’s opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew from their match at the end of the round, citing severe pain and concerns for her safety following a brutal attack. The media and public reaction on social media led prominent figures such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Tesla founder Elon Musk to express their opposition to the two boxers.

Lin advanced to the semifinals by defeating Svetlana Kamenova Staneva, where Bulgarian coach Borislav Georgiev claimed that the IOC’s support for Lin and Khelif had influenced the judges to award the victory to the Taiwanese boxer. Khelif also won her welterweight semifinal and will face China’s Yang Liu in the final on Friday.