MANILA, Philippines — Competing in the Olympics—the grandest stage in sports—is already nerve-wracking in itself.
That’s why Tokyo Olympian Nesthy Petecio doesn’t want to put more pressure on herself ahead of his maiden campaign in the Games.
“I’m just chill. I mean, not super chill, but I just don’t want to think about the Olympics as my toughest competition yet,” Petecio said in Filipino in an interview with the Inquirer.
“I just want to treat the Olympics the same as when I competed in the world [championships] where I just went out and did what I had to do. That’s how I want to approach it.”
DECEMBER 9, 2019: Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio celebrates after defeating Myanmar’s Oo Nwe Ni to claim the gold medal during the 30th South East Asian Games 2019 Women’s Featherweight (57 kg). INQUIRER PHOTO/ Sherwin Vardeleon
The 29-year-old Petecio is one of four Filipino pugs who secured a slot in Tokyo.
“Making the Olympics wasn’t something I imagined. I really made it a goal of mine because it was my father’s dream and I wanted to continue his dream,” she said.
Petecio is deemed as one of the favorites to win in the women’s featherweight class having claimed the gold in the Aiba Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2019, the first Filipino woman to do so.
Eumir Marcial, Irish Magno and Carlo Paalam are the other three Filipino boxers hoping to bring home the country’s first-ever gold Olympic gold.