TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese boxer Chen Nien-chin (陳念琴) advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 66 kg category at the Paris Olympics on Saturday (Aug. 3), guaranteeing the nation at least a bronze medal.
Chen, known as the “cancer-surviving female boxer,” defeated Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova by unanimous decision. After her match, Chen declared excitedly: “What I want is the gold medal,” per CNA.
A member of Taiwan’s Indigenous Amis and Bunun tribes, Chen began her athletic career in wrestling before switching to boxing. She won gold at the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Boxing Championships in 2013 at age 16, per Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.
Chen made history in 2016 as Taiwan’s first female Olympic boxer. She lost 0-3 to Russia’s Iaroslava Iakushina in the round of 16, per Yahoo sports.
In 2018, Chen won gold at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in the welterweight division. She was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2019 and underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy before returning to the ring for the Tokyo Olympics.
Chen reached the quarterfinals. It was not until after the Olympics that she publicly revealed her battle with cancer.
With Paris being her third Olympic appearance, Chen expressed her confidence, emphasizing that the semifinals are just the beginning. Chen will take on China’s Yang Liu (楊柳) in the semifinals on Wednesday (Aug. 7).
