Nesthy Petecio Earns Olympic Bronze in Paris, Ending Philippines’ Boxing Campaign

In a valiant effort at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Filipino boxer Nesthy Petecio secured a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg category. Petecio, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, faced a challenging bout against Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in the semifinal held at Roland Garros Stadium on August 7 (August 8, Manila time).

Petecio, 32, was edged out by the 20-year-old Polish boxer in a split decision, with scores of 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, and 28-29. Despite her strong start, sweeping the judges’ scorecards in the opening round, Petecio was unable to maintain her lead. Szeremeta’s energetic performance in the last two rounds secured her a spot in the gold-medal match in her Olympic debut.

Reflecting on her performance, Petecio said in Filipino during an interview with Olympic broadcaster Cignal, “I thought it was going my way this time. I really believed that I would get it. But the win was not given to us. I’m still thankful because I fought well.”

Petecio’s defeat also meant the end of the Philippines’ quest for its first Olympic boxing gold, a dream that has eluded the country for 100 years. Her loss prevented a rematch with Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting, who advanced to the final amid a gender controversy that has stirred the Olympics. Petecio had previously defeated Lin in Tokyo, but Lin prevailed during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last year.

Read related article: Aira Villegas Adds to Philippines’ Olympic Glory with Boxing Bronze

Source: Rappler