Third fight, third victory by unanimous decision of the judges for Tammara Thibeault in Istanbul. The boxer, who plays in the under 75 kg category, defeated Rady adosinda Gramane of Mozambique in the semifinals on Wednesday. She thus reached the final of the World Championships for the first time in her career.
Posted at 4:36 p.m.
She will face Atheyna Bylon of Panama for the gold medal. Both fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, the two pugilists met in the final of the most recent Pan American Championships, last April. Thibeault then had the upper hand 5-0 to be crowned champion.
“Since I was very young I have dreamed of this, fighting for a gold medal. I am so close! I’m so happy, I’m so proud, I’m so happy, ”she said after her victory.
On Wednesday, the bell had just rung when Gramane went on the offensive to close the distance separating her from the Quebecer.
“It was a tougher fight than I expected. My opponent came out very strong, she was small, powerful, and she showed that she had heart in her stomach,” specified Thibeault, who did everything in his power to stay in control.
Clearly favored by her size, she managed to find her rhythm as the fight progressed. She anticipated her opponent’s blows, to counter and retaliate at the appropriate times. The representative of Mozambique was penalized twice when she tried to hold on to Thibeault.
Thus, the Canadian left no doubt as to the outcome of this confrontation. Its efficiency will have made all the difference. Four judges gave cards of 30-25, while another gave a score of 29-26.
“The first round was a little messy, but I managed to recover well in the next two rounds, which gave me the victory. I am really happy and excited at the idea of reaching the final. »
On Monday, Tammara Thibeault defeated Australian Anne Parker in the quarter-finals. She also shut out American Naomi Melissa Graham in her first worlds fight, after being given a first-round bye.
Give 120%
Tammara Thibeault, who is competing in her third World Championships, will now have the chance to climb on the top step of the podium in her category. The 25-year-old athlete will get her hands on a second world medal, having won bronze in 2019.
“It’s really hard to describe how I feel. All I can say is that on Friday I will give my 120%. It’s been a very long time since Canada had a gold medal at the World Championships and I want to be the woman who wins it. »
Earlier Wednesday, New Brunswick’s Charlie Cavanagh also triumphed in her semifinal bout at 63-66 kg. In the final, she will face Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey on Friday.