PHOTO ESSAYS/Taiwan to field first female wrestler at Rio Olympics

Chen Wen-ling (陳玟陵) will be the first-ever Taiwanese female wrestler to compete in the Olympic Games when she lands in Rio de Janeiro for the women's under-69-kilogram event in August.

Chen, who will turn 22 during the Rio Games, is also the first Taiwanese wrestler to qualify for the Olympics since 1988.

She focused on wrestling because the sport allows an athlete more freedom and spontaneity, compared to judo's rigid rules on movements and engagement with the opponent, she said.

For her Olympic debut, Chen said she hopes to at least finish in the top eight, and plans to push herself to her best form in the coming years, setting her sights on a medal in the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.