Hergie Bacyadan has a true warrior’s heart, and her triumphant Olympic debut for Paris 2024 comes after she had to endure heartbreak from a totally different sport.
It’s hard enough to make the Olympics.
Surely, it’s double the trouble if you want to make it there while changing a sport.
[Related: For PH, LGBTQ+, Kalinga: Hergie Bacyadan hopes to turn adversities into success in Paris 2024]
Fortunately, Hergie Bacyadan has a true warrior’s heart, and her triumphant Olympic debut for Paris 2024 comes after she had to endure heartbreak from a totally different sport.
Now fighting as a boxer, Hergie will look to take on the Olympics by her own hands. Before she makes her Olympic debut for Team Philippines, let’s recap how Hergie got to Paris.
2017 - Shiny silver medals in Wushu
Bacyadan became a Philippine national athlete in 2016 and a year later was already winning medals for the country.
Among Hergie’s significant early victories came in Wushu, where she took a silver medal in China for the Sanda World Cup.
In Russia for the World Wushu Championships, Bacyadan copped another silver, beating no. 1 Danielle Newsom in the semifinals of the women’s 70-kg division, but lost to Maryan Hashemiforoud in the finale.
2023 - Vovinam ventures
Bacyadan’s sporting life eventually led her to vovinam, a for of martial art with Vietnamese origins.
In the SEA Games in Cambodia where she competed in the women’s 6k-kg division, Hergie missed out on a gold medal through unconventional means.
Fighting Bui Thi Thao Ngan to what was essentially a stalemate, the winner was decided by the drawing of lots. Luck did not come her way.
[Related: ‘Sobrang na-disappoint ako’ | Hergie Bacyadan reflects on vovinam heartbreak at 2023 SEA Games ahead of Paris 2024]
Hergie’s well-deserved gold came in the Vovinam World Championships that same year, taking victory in the 66-kg division.
2024 - Boxing to Paris
Bacyadan’s shift to boxing was established as early as 2019, but it was in 2024 when her Olympic dream was finally realized.
Fighting in the World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament 2 in Thailand just last June, Hergie beat Venezuela’s Maryelis Yriza to take one of the Olympic slots allotted for her division.
Bacyadan’s victory made it 15 Filipinos in the Olympics at the time, and her qualification finalized the Philippine boxing team’s lineup at five.
[Related: Paris-bound boxer Hergie Bacyadan proud to represent LGBTQ+ community in the Olympics]
Together with Tokyo 2020 medalists Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial, as well as Aira Villegas and Bacyadan, this Paris 2024 team is Philippine boxing’s largest contingent since Atlanta 1996.
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Story summary:
- Hergie Bacyadan, a former Wushu and Vovinam standout, makes an inspiring leap to boxing, securing her spot in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
- Starting with silver medals in Wushu in 2017, Hergie's journey through different martial arts culminated in a gold at the Vovinam World Championships in 2023.
- Her qualification in the World Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament solidified her place among five Filipino boxers at the Olympics in Paris, marking a historic moment for Philippine boxing.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]