Nesthy Petecio seeks redemption at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 after falling short of a gold medal performance in the previous edition of the multi-sport spectacle in Tokyo three years ago.
Much like her idol, boxing great Manny Pacquiao, Nesthy Petecio relied on the sport to make ends meet and eventually rise from extreme poverty.
But she did more than that.
Ever unfazed, the Filipina pugilist from Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur fought through adversity and broke barriers in the male-dominated sport.
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Her trek to Philippine boxing pantheon started when she was still 11 years old after she beat a male fighter bigger and more experienced than her in a competition in Davao City.
From there, accolades followed her wherever she competed, eventually becoming the first Filipina to win a boxing medal in the Olympics.
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Now, the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships winner seeks redemption at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 after falling short of a gold medal performance in the previous edition of the multi-sport spectacle in Tokyo.
As the Olympic action approaches, One Sports looks back on her up-and-down journey to her second Olympic appearance.
2021: Almost gold is never enough
Upon receiving her silver medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Petecio could not hold back her tears.
It was not exactly that of joy.
Petecio, the first woman from the Philippines to win a boxing medal in the Olympics which in turn broke an almost 25-year drought for the country in the sport at the Games, bowed to the host team’s Sena Irie in the featherweight final match.
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist later apologized for not winning the top prize.
2023: Reclaiming SEA Games gold
After settling for bronze in the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, Petecio was hell-bent on reclaiming the top spot at the podium.
She did so in a convincing way.
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The Filipina orthodox fighter simply outclassed Indonesia’s Ratna Devi in the gold-medal match, battering the latter with accuracy from start to finish.
2024: Olympic ticket did not come cheap
Petecio had to overcome not one nor two, but three hurdles before booking a safe passage to Paris.
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In a previous interview with One Sports, the amiable boxing champion said she played through a left wrist injury against Esra Kahraman Yildiz of Turkey via split decision in the women’s 57kg division semifinals of the 1st World Qualification Tournament.
Petecio also struggled with vision after suffering a scratch on her left eye before the Worlds even unfurled and had a period during her last bout.
Still, she beat Yildiz which earned her a spot for the 2024 Olympics.
[RELATED STORY: Nesthy Petecio names toughest opponents in women's 57kg division come Paris 2024]
Now that she gets another shot at Olympic glory, there’s no way Petecio will blow it this time. It’s gold or nothing.