Canadian Boxer Wyatt Sanford Secures Bronze Medal at Paris Games
Canada’s Wyatt Sanford, the boxer from Kennetcook, Nova Scotia, captured a hard-earned bronze medal in the 63.5-kilogram category at the Paris Olympics. Despite falling short of his ultimate goal, Sanford’s achievement marks Canada’s first Olympic boxing medal since 1996.
Sanford’s semifinal bout against France’s Sofiane Oumiha was a close, competitive affair, with four of the five judges scoring the fight 29-28 in Oumiha’s favor, while the remaining judge had Sanford winning by the same score. Sanford’s strong performance in the third round, winning on four of the five judges’ scorecards, showcased his resilience and skill, but the Canadian ran out of time to capitalize on the momentum.
“I feel great. I didn’t get the result I wanted, but he is one hell of a fighter. A great boxer,” Sanford said after the fight. “I can’t feel too sad about it. I’ve no regrets. I’m super happy with the performance, I just didn’t get the outcome. That’s just the way it goes.”
Sanford, the top-ranked fighter in his weight category and the reigning Pan American Games champion, had secured his spot on the podium by defeating Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Abdullaev in the quarterfinals, following an opening-round victory over Bulgaria’s Radoslav Rosenov.
The boxer from Kennetcook acknowledged Oumiha’s speed as a key factor, saying, “It took me a bit too long to get used to his speed as he is super fast. I knew I was down after the first round, but then I usually am.”
Despite the disappointment of not winning gold, Sanford remains proud of his achievement and is eager to celebrate the bronze medal with his family and friends back home in Kennetcook. “It was great to have some support in the stadium from Canadians. It was great to have the support from back home in Kennetcook,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back there to celebrate the bronze medal with my family and friends who have been there for me since day one. It’s fantastic to be able to give them something back for all that support over the years.”
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