Nesthy to give it one last go for Olympics gold in LA 2028

Two-time Olympic medalist Nesthy Petecio in attendance at the PVL All-Filipino Conference at Araneta Coliseum.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

An Olympic gold medal has proven slippery for lady boxer Nesthy Petecio, but that has hardly put a dent in the confidence of the featherweight from Davao del Sur.

A podium finisher during the Tokyo and Paris Summer Olympic Games, Petecio says she hopes to put an end to that chase in the Los Angeles edition of the global showcase that will be held in 2028.

“I really fell short in Paris, so I’m bent on continuing this,” she told reporters in Filipino from the sidelines of the Siklab Youth Sports Awards on Thursday night, referring to her chase of a Games gold medal.

Petecio settled for a bronze in the recent Paris Olympics, bowing to Poland’s Julia Szeremeta in a 4-1 majority decision in the women’s semifinal. The Filipino had bagged a silver during the Tokyo Games three years earlier after fading against hometown bet Sena in the finale.

As driven as she may have sounded with her pronouncements during the event presented by Nickel Asia Corp., Petecio also knows that a long and arduous road awaits—and that at 32 years old, things aren’t exactly going to be any easier.

Back to qualifiers

But she is up for the challenge.

“We all know that [everyone needs to] go back to the Olympic qualifiers,” she said. “So I know that there will be plenty to go through to get to LA. But what I can assure you is that I want to keep competing.”

The national boxing team reconvenes on Jan. 5 in Baguio City, and that’s when Petecio hopes to formally kick things off for herself.

The two-time Olympic medalist looks to prepare for stints in the World Championships and Southeast Asian Games as well.

“I believe I still can [do this]. I just have to keep faith in myself,” she said.