Petecio advances to Olympic semis, secures bronze

Filipina boxer Nesthy Petecio advanced to the semifinals of the women's boxing 57kg event at the 2024 Paris Olympics by defeating China's Zichun Xu on Sunday, August 4, securing a guaranteed bronze medal with her next victory.

Petecio dominated the bout with precise left-hand strikes in the first two rounds, ensuring a clear win over Xu and solidifying her status as a dominant force in women's boxing.

With this win, Petecio becomes only the third Filipino athlete to secure multiple Olympic medals after Teófilo Yldefonso and Hidilyn Diaz.

Petecio expressed determination to win gold, stating 'Walang hinto hangga't walang ginto,' showing her resolve to surpass her silver medal finish from the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

She will face Poland's Julia Szeremeta on Wednesday, August 7 (Thursday, August 8 Manila time) with a chance to match or surpass her previous achievement.

Petecio's victory brings the country's medal tally to four so far, including Carlos Yulo's gold and Aira Villegas' bronze, putting the Philippines on track to exceed its performance in Japan three years ago.

The boxer remains focused on winning gold after an early exit from the Asian Games last year, crediting her setbacks for making her stronger and better prepared.