When Nesthy Petecio won the silver medal during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she cried and apologized.
She had just made history as the first Filipina boxer to ever get a medal in the Olympics--a silver at that after losing to Sena Irie of Japan.
But during the interview with One Sports after her bout, she broke down and apologized.
"Sobrang blessed ako, sobrang thankful ako kay Lord, hindi niya ako pinabayaan sa taas ng ring. Sobrang honored ako na irepresent yung Pilipinas. Naiyak ako kasi nanghinayang ako para sa coaches ko. Iaalay ko sana yung..." Petecio trailed off as her voice shook.
She took a deep breath before trying to get her bearings again, "Gusto ko sana ialay yung gold kay coach Nolito [Velasco] po. Pero kinulang tayo."
"Ginawa ko 'yung best ko sa ring. Humabol po ako," she said, taking another deep breath. "Humabol po ako."
"Chasing the gold, 'di pa tapos. May Paris pa po!"
Petecio raised her silver medal to the cameras.
"Humihingi po ako ng pasensya kung silver lang po naiuwi ko," she stopped to take a breath again, seemingly trying to hold her emotions in.
"Ginawa ko po lahat ng makakaya ko kanina," Petecio said, finally breaking down. "Salamat po talaga sa dasal ninyo."
When she got to the hallway, Petecio hugged her coach, Nolito "Boy" Velasco.
He was in the corner when a Filipino boxer last reached the gold medal round in the Olympics. But his brother, Onyok Velasco, took home the silver in 1996.
On August 3, 2021, a silver-medal bearing Petecio wanted to give him the gold medal. She gave him this hug instead.
Fast forward to 2023, and Petecio was feeling pretty good. She reclaimed the Southeast Asian Games gold medal in the featherweight division.
[ALSO READ: Nesthy Petecio reclaims SEA Games featherweight gold]
The decorated boxer would have a chance to get an Olympics berth in the Asian Games.
But it was not meant to be.
Petecio crashed out of the round of 16 after absorbing a 4-1 defeat at the hands of rival Yu Ting-lin of Chinese Taipei.
Once again, she apologized.
"Pasensya na kung nabigo ko kayo rito," Petecio told One Sports in a post-match interview in China.
It was at this point that she appealed the public to give athletes who failed to medal some support, instead of bashing them online.
"Hopefully sa pagkatalo namin, ‘yung mga atletang natalo, hindi pinalad dito, sana suportahan niyo, i-encourage niyo pa kami na mas ipagpatuloy pa na abutin ‘yung pangarap papuntang Olympics. Sana ‘wag niyong i-down pa kasi sobrang hirap bumangon kapag nasa sitwasyon na natalo kami tapos ‘yun pa ‘yung mababasa namin," she said.
[ALSO READ: Nesthy Petecio has appeal to bashers following online attacks against Filipino athletes in Asian Games]
In Busto Arizio, Italy, Petecio found a way to bounce back.
She first beat Serbia's Andela Brankovic via referee stoppage in the round of 64; beat Romania's Maria Claudia Nechita in the round of 32, as well as Germany's Nancy Canan Tas in the round of 16, and Netherland's Mau Van Der Toorn in the quarterfinals via unanimous decision.
Petecio then grabbed the majority decision, 4-1, against Esra Kahraman of Turkey.
It was enough to get one of the two slots in the women's featherweight decision.
And on March 12, 2024, Petecio once again made history as the first Filipina boxer to secure two Olympic quotas.
Welcome to Paris, Nesthy.
"I am so blessed. This is very important important for me because maybe this is my last Olympics," Petecio told Olympics.com.
"I got this ticket for so many people, especially my family, to God, and for our former President who died, and for my partner in life. Before (the tournament), I promised her that I would win the ticket to Paris and finally this is it! I’m so happy," she added.
She joins fellow two-time Olympian Eumir Marcial in Paris 2024, along with Aira Villegas who also secured a spot for the Philippines.
There are now at least six Filipinos bound for Paris, including pole vaulter EJ Obiena as well as gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan.
"I will not stop until I get the Olympic gold medal," Petecio said.
In 2021, she cried and apologized after getting "only silver." That "silver lang" was enough to make history for the country.
In 2024, Petecio bounced back to make history, again. Not many people can achieve such a feat. And it cannot be considered to be derided as a "lang".
In Paris, Petecio would be standing tall as the only Filipina boxer who has secured two Olympic quotas for her country, the only Pinay pugilist with an Olympic silver medal. And that's an "only" worth lauding.