In a stunning upset at the Paris Olympics, Filipino boxer Nesthy Petecio’s campaign for gold ended as she lost to Poland’s Julia Szeremata in the women’s featherweight semifinals early Thursday (Philippine Time) at Roland Garros Stadium.
Petecio started strong, winning the first round unanimously with her serious approach. However, Szeremata made a strategic comeback in the final two rounds. In the second round, she impressed four out of five judges, while the Indonesian judge still favored Petecio.
The third round was a fierce exchange, with both fighters going all out. Szeremata’s late flurry of punches in the final 10 seconds likely tipped the scales in her favor, leading to a 4-1 split decision victory. This win ensured Szeremata at least a silver medal and denied Petecio a rematch with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-Ting.
Lin, who defeated Turkey’s Esra Kahraman in the other semifinal, has been embroiled in gender-related controversies throughout the Olympics. A victory for Petecio would have set up a highly anticipated rematch after her previous loss to Lin in the Asian Games.
Despite the loss, Petecio will take home a bronze medal, while the quest for an Olympic gold for the Philippine boxing team remains unfulfilled.
In other Olympic news, golfer Bianca Pagdanganan is in close contention for a medal after finishing the opening round of the women’s golf event at even par 72. She is currently tied for 13th place, just two strokes behind a four-way tie for third.
Fellow golfers Dottie Ardina and Yuka Saso faced difficulties, finishing their rounds at four-over-par 76 and five-over-par 77, respectively. France’s Celine Boutier leads the field with a seven-under-par 65.
In weightlifting, John Ceniza’s Olympic debut was cut short as he failed to complete any of his snatch attempts in the men’s 61-kilogram category. China’s Li Fabin secured the gold with a total lift of 310 kilograms, setting a new Olympic record in the process.