By Vincent Morin
Boxing Canada had two athletes in action at the 2024 USA Boxing Invitational International Tournament, held April 15-20 in Puebo, Colorado. Tammara Thibeault won gold in the women's 75 kg, while Scarlett Delgado won silver in the women's 54 kg.
Tammara Thibeault
Champion of the Pan American Games and qualified for the Paris Olympic Games following this precious gold medal won in Chile, Thibeault began this American international competition with a victory by unanimous decision (5-0) in front of the Brazilian Viviane Pereira.
In the quarter-finals, she defeated the silver medalist of the Tokyo Games, the Chinese Qian Li, by unanimous decision (5-0), before dominating the American Naomi Graham, also by unanimous decision (5-0). , in the semi-final. In the final, the maple leaf representative faced another Olympian, Australian Caitlin Parker. The latter also lost by unanimous decision (5-0) against Thibeault.
In four duels, the left-hander from Shawinigan has not lost on any judges' card against strong rivals. This tournament served as preparation for the Paris Games, which will take place from July 27 to August 10.
Scarlett Delgado
On the side of the Ontarian Scarlett Delgado, she started the tournament strong with a victory by unanimous decision (5-0) over the German Sarah Meryem Binbir, before recording another triumph by unanimous decision (5-0) in the semi-final over the American Kayla Gomez.
During the final, Delgado admitted defeat by split decision (3-1) after an intense fight against the British Charley Davison.
The 29-year-old Canadian boxer has not yet managed to qualify for the Paris Games during the first two qualifying tournaments, namely at the Pan American Games and during the first world Olympic qualifying tournament, held in March in Italy.
She will have one last chance at the second world qualifying tournament, May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Boxing Canada currently only has two boxers qualified for Paris with Tammara Thibeault (75 kg women) and Wyatt Sanford (63.5 kg men).
