(Villepinte) Wyatt Sanford saw his run end in the semi-finals of the 63.5 kg tournament at the Paris Olympic Games on Sunday, which still gave the Canadian the bronze medal, Canada’s first Olympic boxing medal in 28 years.
Sanford lost by split decision (4-1) to Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha, who will pursue the gold medal.
PHOTO JOHN LOCHER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sofiane Oumiha (in blue) was declared the winner.
There is no fight for the bronze medal in boxing, which also distributes two third-place medals.
The 25-year-old Nova Scotian, the Olympic tournament favourite, had his hands full against the fourth-ranked Frenchman in the ring at the Paris-Nord arena in Villepinte.
Oumiha is an experienced pugilist and it showed from the first moments of the fight. The three-time world champion (2017, 2021, 2023) and Olympic runner-up at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games landed many incisive jabs in the opening round. Sanford even received a standing eight count after one of those powerful front hand strikes from Oumiha, who earned the favor of all five judges in that round.
PHOTO ARIANA CUBILLOS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wyatt Sanford (in red) takes a left from Sofiane Oumiha.
Sanford, who trains under Vincent Auclair and Samir El-Mais in Montreal, was able to make the necessary adjustments for the second bout. Less “hypnotized” by the Frenchman’s movements, Sanford was able to cut the ring further and land several powerful combinations. On a few occasions, Oumiha’s head violently tilted back, which usually results in a standing eight count in amateur boxing. Sri Lankan referee Nelka Thampu, however, did not flinch.
This did not change the outcome of the duel, however, as Sanford was only able to win the favor of two judges in this round. Oumiha therefore entered the third round with an insurmountable lead on points.
Sanford then tried to land as many power punches as possible, a mission he succeeded in. Four of the five judges awarded him this round, during which Oumiha did just enough to not get hit too much. The damage was done anyway: without a knockout, it was a lost cause for the Kennetcook athlete, gold medalist at the last Pan American Games.
The medal ends a 28-year drought for Canadian boxing at the Olympics. David Defiagbon lost to Cuba’s Felix Savon in the heavyweight final at the 1996 Atlanta Games to win the silver medal, the last for the country, which has only won one gold medal at the Olympics, that of Lennox Lewis in the super-heavyweight in Seoul in 1988.