Petecio's Triumph And Lopez's Close Call: Day 9 At The Paris Olympics

Nesthy Petecio moves to semifinals while Arlen Lopez misses out on gold

Nesthy Petecio celebrates her victory against China’s Xu Zichun during the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics /

By Mohamed Bahaa

For the second consecutive Olympics, Nesthy Petecio has secured a medal, solidifying her status as one of the most prominent figures in Philippine sports history. On Day 9 of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 32-year-old boxing sensation from Davao City made history by becoming the first Filipino boxer to win two Olympic medals. Petecio achieved this feat by defeating China’s Xu Zichun with a unanimous 5-0 victory in the women’s 57kg quarterfinals.

Having claimed a silver medal at the Tokyo Games, Petecio now sets her sights on gold. She is scheduled to face Poland's rising star Julia Szeremeta in the semifinals on Wednesday, August 7. Szeremeta, 20, earned her semifinal spot with a decisive 5-0 win over Ashleyann Lozada Motta of Puerto Rico.

Petecio displayed remarkable skill and strategy against the taller Xu, using her agility and experience to land powerful overhand lefts repeatedly. She dominated the first round, sweeping all five judges' scorecards. As Xu attempted to press the attack with aggressive moves, Petecio capitalized on her opponent's overreaching by countering with precise right hooks and deftly dodging incoming punches.

Despite trailing 20-18 on all cards after two rounds, Xu mounted a fierce offensive in the third, launching combinations to Petecio’s body and even forcing her to the floor in the opening moments. However, Petecio maintained her composure, trading blows with Xu and landing strategic left hands to fend off her opponent's relentless assault.

As Petecio continues her journey in the semifinals, another Filipino boxer, Aira Villegas, also has her eyes on the medal podium. Competing in the 50kg category, Villegas will go up against Turkey’s Buse Naz Çakıroğlu in her own semifinal match on Thursday.

In a contrasting outcome, Cuban boxing legend Arlen Lopez finds himself returning home with a bronze medal instead of gold. The 31-year-old experienced a narrow 3-2 defeat against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the men’s 80kg semifinals, ending his pursuit of becoming the third boxer in history to win three Olympic gold medals.

Khyzhniak, a silver medalist from the Tokyo Games, showcased his signature aggressive style, relentlessly attacking Lopez with combinations throughout the match. Lopez attempted to respond with powerful single punches but struggled to keep up with Khyzhniak’s pace, abandoning his usual strategic approach.

In the decisive third round, Lopez showed signs of fatigue as Khyzhniak continued his onslaught, dominating the exchanges. The match concluded with a heated exchange between the two fighters, as Khyzhniak landed a punch after the final bell, causing a tense stare-down between the two.

In another development, Cuba’s Erislandy Alvarez is set to compete for gold in the 63.5kg category after securing a 5-0 victory against Georgia’s Lasha Guruli. Alvarez will face France’s Sofiane Oumiha, a three-time world champion, who advanced with a 4-1 decision over Canada’s Wyatt Sanford.

Full Results:

• Women's 57kg – Quarterfinals:

o    Lin Yu Ting (TPE) 5-0 Svetlana Kamenova Staneva (BUL)

o    Esra Yildiz Kahraman (TUR) 4-1 Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu (BRA)

o    Nesthy Petecio (PHI) 5-0 Xu Zichun (CHN)

o    Julia Szeremeta (POL) 5-0 Ashleyann Lozada Motta (PUR)

·         Women's 75kg – Quarterfinals:

o    Li Qian (CHN) 4-1 Lovlina Borgohain (IND)

o    Caitlin Parker (AUS) 4-1 Khadija Mardi (MAR)

o    Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba (EOR) 5-0 Davina Michel (FRA)

o    Atheyna Bibeichi Bylon (PAN) 3-2 Elzbieta Wojcik (POL)

·         Women's 54kg – Semifinals:

o    Chang Yuan (CHN) 3-2 Pang Cholmi (PRK)

o    Hatice (TUR) 3-2 Im Aeji (KOR)

·         Men’s 51kg – Semifinals: