Before stepping into the ring ahead of her women’s under-66kg semi-final bout at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, Chen Nien-chin (陳念琴) already felt like a “world champion.”
“I was very calm during the warm-up, and my coach believed in me, and I executed all my planned strategies,” Chen said in Paris.
Nevertheless, victory eluded the Taiwanese boxer in the hard-fought women’s welterweight battle against China’s Yang Liu (楊柳).
Photo: CNA
“My opponent was really strong. I enjoyed the fight, and I wish her the best of luck in winning the gold medal,” said Chen, who was tied on four scorecards and ahead on one after two rounds.
The four judges who had the bout tied gave Yang the final round and the win.
Despite losing 4-1, Chen walked away with a bronze medal, as there is no bronze-medal match in boxing.
The 27-year-old’s performance raised Taiwan’s medal count to one gold and four bronzes, as of yesterday.
After the fight, Chen knelt down and kissed the canvas, as she has done at previous competitions.
“My Olympics are over for this year, so of course I had to say farewell to the ring,” she said.
Born in Hualien County in 1997, Chen moved with her parents to Lienchiang County (Matsu) when she was two years old. She joined a wrestling team at a young age, but later switched to boxing, and discovered she had a remarkable talent for the sport. At the age of 14, she moved to Hsinchu to train with professionals.
Paris was Chen’s third Olympic appearance. She reached the women’s under-69kg quarter-finals in Tokyo in 2021, and lost in the under-75kg round-of-16 opener at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
She was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2019 and underwent eight chemotherapy sessions before returning to the ring and qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.
Chen said she hopes to inspire others with her love of boxing.
“If you have a dream, do not give up,” she said. “Even if you encounter many difficulties and challenges, you must keep going.”
After winning bronze in Paris, Chen has set her sights on a better result at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“After all, I have not won the gold medal yet,” she said.
Chen has overcome many challenges during her boxing career, and her success in overcoming adversity in life has made her stronger, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) wrote on Facebook.
“We are always proud of you,” he wrote, adding that Chen brings hope and inspiration to everyone.
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