Nesthy Petecio dominates to advance in Women’s 57kg boxing at Paris Olympics
Nesthy Petecio showcased her boxing prowess, outclassing India’s Jaismine Lamboria in a unanimous decision victory to advance in the women’s 57kg boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The bout, held early Wednesday (Manila time), saw Petecio deliver a defensive masterclass, effectively countering the advantages of her much taller opponent.
Standing at 5-foot-2, Petecio faced a formidable challenge in the 5-foot-9 Lamboria. However, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist demonstrated superior head movement and footwork, making her Indian opponent miss throughout the three rounds. Petecio’s defensive skills were complemented by her ability to penetrate Lamboria’s defense, landing several well-timed overhand rights.
The gap in skill level was evident, as Petecio used feints, and bobbed and weaved to keep Lamboria off balance. Despite the height and reach disadvantage, Petecio’s tactical approach and agility proved too much for Lamboria, who struggled to land any significant blows.
Petecio’s victory was decisive, earning her a unanimous decision from all five judges. This win sets the 32-year-old boxer up for a promising run in the tournament, boosting her confidence as she heads into the round of 16.
In her next match, Petecio will face France’s Amina Zidani, the No. 3 seed and a European Games gold medalist in 2023. The bout, scheduled for around 2 a.m. on Saturday (Manila time), presents a challenging but exciting opportunity for Petecio as she continues her quest for Olympic gold.
