Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, the United States and Canada won gold in the first boxing finals

Santiago de Chile, October 27 (EFE).- Santiago 2023 boxing brought down the curtain on Friday, with thirteen finalists, but it already has six of its champions. The first battles for gold highlighted a duel between Brazil and Colombia, where both won, and Cuban Julio Cesar La Cruz, who was crowned champion at the Pan American Games for the fourth time.

At the Ñuñoa Olympic Training Center, the US boxing finals won gold for Colombia, Cuba, the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Canada.

The decisive day began with the women’s 57kg category. Colombian Yeni Arias won the gold medal by defeating Brazilian Tatiana de Jesus Chagas in a very close fight and a 3-2 split decision.

Arias, the current world runner-up in this category, won a bronze medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

In the men’s 57 kilo competition, the gold medal was awarded to American Jamal Harvey, who defeated Cuban Saidil Rodriguez by unanimous decision 5-0.

In the third confrontation on the schedule, in the women’s 60 kg category, Brazil took revenge on Colombia with Beatriz Soares Ferreira defeating Angie Paula Valdes by unanimous decision.

Soares, the favorite in this fight, has re-verified the gold medal achieved at the same weight in Lima 2019 and is a two-time Pan American champion.

In the men’s 71 kg competition, Mexican Marco Verde gave his country the gold medal by defeating Ecuadorian Jose Gabriel Rodriguez 5-0.

In the women’s 75 kg category, Panamanian Athena Bailon fell by unanimous decision 5-0 to Canadian Tamara Thibault.

The fight for the men’s 92 kg division ended the first part of the finals with a gold medal for Cuban and favorite Julio Cesar La Cruz against Brazilian Kino Machado.

La Cruz, the 34-year-old who qualified for his fourth Olympics, won again for the fourth time in American boxing.

In Lima 2019, he won gold in the 81kg category, where he also defeated rival Machado on Friday. It is the same medal he won in Toronto 2015 and Guadalajara 2011.