On the evening of July 27, Vietnamese boxer Ha Thi Linh delivered a dominant performance against Feofaaki Epenisa of Tonga in the first round of the women’s -60kg boxing event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Epenisa, born in 1996 and representing the Oceanian island nation of Tonga, secured her place at the Olympics through a wildcard entry. In contrast, Ha Thi Linh, three years her senior, had the advantage in both height (1.7m to 1.68m) and reach.
Competing at the North Paris Arena, Ha Thi Linh, dressed in blue, started cautiously, observing her opponent’s movements. Epenisa came out aggressively, landing several blows in the first 30 seconds of the opening round. However, Linh quickly adapted to her opponent’s style, using her longer reach to counter with precise left-hand strikes to Epenisa’s face.
At the end of the first round, all five judges scored Ha Thi Linh 10 points, while Epenisa received scores ranging from eight to nine.
Building on her initial success, Ha Thi Linh approached the second round with increased confidence. She maintained a solid defense, allowing Epenisa to take the offensive. As her opponent’s attacks proved ineffective, Linh capitalized, dodging punches and responding with accurate counters. Epenisa began to tire in the latter half of the round, losing her earlier pace. The judges awarded Linh five perfect scores of 10, while Epenisa received lower scores of eight and nine.
With a significant lead, Ha Thi Linh entered the third round, focusing on maintaining her advantage. She kept her distance, using Epenisa’s impatience against her by landing clean counterpunches. Linh further solidified her victory with a series of three consecutive punches that scored points. The round concluded with Linh receiving another set of perfect scores, securing a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
In the round of 16, scheduled for 16:00 on July 29, Ha Thi Linh will face China’s top seed Yang Wenlu. Born in 1991, Yang stands at 1.73m and boasts an impressive record, including a gold medal at the 2019 Asian Games, a world championship in 2016, and a bronze in 2023.
Ha Thi Linh, born in 1993 and of Tày ethnicity, began her boxing journey at the age of 12 when she moved from her hometown in Lao Cai to Hanoi to train. She became a professional athlete at 15 and has since won gold medals in the 63kg category at the 2013 and 2023 SEA Games. Despite being a mother of two, Linh continues to pursue her boxing career, achieving her dream of competing in the Olympics at the age of 31.
Ha Thi Linh is the sixth Vietnamese athlete to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Earlier today, judoka Hoang Thi Tinh was eliminated in the first round of the women’s -48kg category, while rower Pham Thi Hue finished fourth in her heat in the women’s single sculls and will compete in the repechage round on July 28. Shooter Trinh Thu Vinh advanced to the finals of the 10m air pistol event after placing fourth in the qualifying round.
On July 25, Do Thi Anh Nguyet and Le Quoc Phong competed in the individual archery events, finishing 37th and 47th, respectively. They will compete in the 1/32 elimination round on July 30. In the mixed team event, their combined score placed them 24th out of 27 teams, failing to qualify for the next round.
Following Ha Linh, another Vietnamese boxer, Vo Thi Kim Anh, will compete in the 54kg women’s category against Pawar Preeti of India at 0:40 on July 28.
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