As Lin Yu-ting dominated the ring in the women’s 57kg category in Paris, Taiwanese athletes brought home up to seven medals -- two golds and five bronzes -- the second-best result for the island in an Olympic Games. The boxer clinched gold in the Sunday final on Sunday atter an emotional ride as she and Algerian Imane Khelif suffered online abuse throughout the competition.

Lin and Khelif entered the Games after being disqualified out of last year's world championships by the International Boxing Association, alleging they did not match the organisation’s gender eligibility criteria, yet the International Olympic Committee gave them the green light to compete in Paris.

However, both the Taiwanese government and public threw their support behind Lin, and even more on Tuesday, turning out in large crowds for organised watch parties in her hometown of New Taipei City as president Lai Ching-te ordered that three F-16 fighter jets be sent to escort the flight home. According to footage released by the defence ministry, the jets coasted alongside the green-tailed commercial plane, occasionally releasing celebratory flares into the morning sky.

The athletes also got a hero's welcome on land, with fans swarming Lin at the airport for autographs and selfies. The other Olympians donned flower crowns and giant leis.

Lin -- who has been dubbed "Taiwan's daughter" by both local media and President Lai -- said it was "pretty cool" and expressed her gratitude. "It feels like I suddenly got the spotlight overnight. I feel honoured to have this title, but also feel the responsibility that comes along with it," she told reporters at the airport. "I hope to be a good role model."

She added that to stay focused on her performance -- instead of the gender controversy roiling outside the ring -- she had turned off social media where online abuse seemed to reach a high point as IBA's president, Umar Kremlev, claimed that the two women had undergone "testing that show that these are men" during a chaotic Paris press conference.

The IOC leapt to the defence of both boxers, with president Thomas Bach saying they were born and raised as women, and have passports saying that. Neither identifies as transgender but the furore continues to flare online, in part due to initial posts from US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

Besides Lin, Taiwan's other gold medal went to Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, a badminton duo who defended their men's doubles champion title from the Tokyo Games in a hard-fought battle against China's team.