Lin Yu-ting Wins Silver at WB Boxing China, Coach Notes Need for Improved Stamina in New Weight Class

TAIPEI, June 21 (CNA) -- In the women's 60kg final at the WB Boxing China tournament today, Taiwanese standout Lin Yu-ting was knocked down for an eight-count in the third round and ultimately lost to Kazakh rising star Viktoriya Grafeyeva 2-3. Coach Tseng Tzu-chiang admitted that her stamina needs further improvement.

Lin Yu-ting successfully advanced through three rounds to reach the championship match in this event hosted by the World Boxing (WB) organization. Yesterday, she defeated China's Yang Chengyu, considered a top rival for the Asian Games, in the semifinals.

In today's gold medal bout, the two boxers displayed contrasting styles. Lin Yu-ting excels in mid- to long-range fighting with timely counter-attacks, while Grafeyeva employed a close-range, aggressive style. At the end of the first round, Lin Yu-ting received a perfect score of 10 from all five judges.

In the second round, Grafeyeva increased the pressure and significantly upped her pace, forcing Lin Yu-ting from an offensive to a defensive stance and expending considerable energy on defense. She still held a lead after the first two rounds.

In the crucial final round, Lin Yu-ting's stamina appeared to be affected. With 1 minute and 38 seconds remaining, she was hit in the head, prompting the referee to administer an eight-count. This led all five judges to award Grafeyeva a 10, resulting in Lin Yu-ting's comeback defeat.

Coach Tseng Tzu-chiang told CNA that since moving up to the 60kg class, her opponents have greater power, leading to faster stamina depletion. "Yesterday's semifinal against Yang Chengyu was very intense, which affected her stamina recovery today. She seemed lost in the ring for a period in the third round, allowing her opponent to gain the advantage."

Tseng Tzu-chiang revealed that these two international matches have shown that if opponents engage in a standard technical fight, Lin Yu-ting will have the advantage. "So now, opponents basically resort to close-range brawling to heavily deplete Yu-ting's stamina or force her into fouls. We need to re-evaluate our strategies for this upon returning."

Tseng Tzu-chiang pointed out that while she didn't win gold, it's not a bad outcome. It's evident that Lin Yu-ting has room for improvement in her combativeness, and she may need to spar more with male boxers. The current plan is to train in South Korea in August before the Asian Games, followed by final adjustments in Japan in September. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 06/21/115

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