Pinay boxer Nesthy Petecio fell short in returning to Olympic finals after losing to her Polish opponent in the semifinals of Paris 2024.
Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio's quest for Olympic gold came to an end as she fell to Julia Szeremeta of Poland in the women's featherweight semifinal match at Paris 2024 on Thursday, August 8 (Philippine time).
Despite her valiant efforts, the 32-year-old Petecio was unable to secure a spot in the gold medal bout, missing the chance to become the first Filipino boxer to win an Olympic gold and to avenge her finals defeat at Tokyo 2020.
In the semifinals, Petecio faced a tough challenge from the 20-year-old Polish boxer, ultimately losing in a 4-1 split decision. The judges scored the fight, 28-29, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, in favor of Szeremeta.
Petecio started strong, taking the first round with her aggressive approach and precise punches, which impressed all five judges.
Szeremeta, however, came back in the second round with a change of tactics, landing some power punches that kept her alive in the match.
In the third and final round, both boxers gave it their all, connecting on punches and jabs, but the judges ultimately favored Szeremeta.
With this result, Petecio exits the competition with a bronze medal, adding to her impressive career achievements. Meanwhile, Szeremeta advances to the final to face Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei, who Petecio defeated in the round of 16 at Tokyo 2020.