Nesthy Petecio out to put on a show in second straight Olympics bid

Nesthy Petecio's past shortcomings, including her emotional silver medal finish in the Tokyo Olympics, had made her question if she still has the fuel to continue.

The veteran boxer, however, has made one thing very clear: "Walang hinto hangga't walang ginto."

That's why she picked up her gloves, returned to the ring, and continued to fight for the flag.

Petecio's tenacity has brought her to a second crack at Olympic glory, and she isn't about to let the gold slip this time around.

Petecio: A fighter through and through

Her Tokyo finish wasn't the first time Petecio doubted herself.

In the 2018 Asian Games, Petecio absorbed an early exit after falling prey to a Chinese foe in the Round of 16, which prompted her to initially step away from the boxing ring and fight a more difficult battle with depression.

Showing her fighting spirit, Petecio made a comeback and qualified for the Tokyo Games by virtue of her high rankings.

She made sure she did not waste that once in a lifetime chance that most people would only dream of, jabbing her way into the finals where she was pitted against hometown bet in Sena Irie.

But once again, she fell short.

Irie, who was nine years younger than the Filipina boxer, secured the nod of all five judges to bag the gold medal while the latter settled for silver.

That stinging loss, which was the closest she ever got to an Olympic gold medal, has almost once again pulled Petecio down.

Despite this, she proved she's a fighter to the core.

In the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, the grizzled pug displayed her might and defied the odds to seize her second gold medal in her sixth participation in the regional biennial meet.

Exuding all positivity, Petecio said she won't stop until she sees that elusive Olympic gold medal hanging around her neck.

Tall task for Nesthy

Petecio has qualified for the Paris Olympics after she punched her way to the final round of women's 57kg in the 1st Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Italy last March, leading the boxing delegation that also features Eumir Marcial, Aira Villegas, Carlo Paalam, and Hergie Bacyadan.

Even if she is one of the favorites in her division in the upcoming Summer Games, Petecio is still facing some tough opponents along the way.  

Irma Testa of Italy, whom Petecio defeated in the Tokyo Olympics semifinals, is returning to the big stage as the former world and European champion looks to give Petecio and the rest of the field a run for their money.  Also standing in Petecio's way is Colombia's Yeni Arias, who is a very familiar face to Petecio as they slugged it out in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Games, where the Filipina representative came out victorious. 

Lin Yu-Ting of Chinese Taipei and Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan, the two finalists during the 19th Asian Games, are also expected to give a tough fight to other competitors. 

With all her experience under her belt, Petecio is all primed to take the gold that has been eluding the Philippine boxing team in the Olympics. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News