Olympics-Boxing-Filipina Petecio advances to finals; old rivals to meet in semis

[ASFN Admin]

TOKYO (Reuters) -Reigning world champion Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines defeated Italian Irma Testa in the featherweight boxing semi-final on Saturday to keep her in the contest for what could be her country's second-ever gold medal in the Olympics. The diminutive 29-year-old lost the first round against a much-taller Testa but won the second and was on the front foot throughout the third, chasing her opponent with lightning-quick steps and rapid-fire punches. In an arena that gave Petecio a home-crowd feel thanks to roaring cheers from team mates, officials and Filipino journalists, Petecio grabbed the win in a split decision, crying and falling to her knees as her name was announced.

Continue reading...