Oh Yeon Ji is South Korea’s first Paris Olympian in boxing
The Asian Games winner experienced Oh Yeon Ji achieved South Korea’s first quota for the Paris Olympics following her semi-final success at the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok on Day9.
Altogether 579 boxers from 133 countries are participating in the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok where the total number of the available quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics is 51. The number of the coaches, officials and team delegations members is 610 in Thailand.
Mongolia’s Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg, the World bronze medallist had tough rivals in the previous weeks but she managed to compete in Bangkok. The bantamweight (54kg) boxer controlled all of the exchanges in her Round of 16 contest against Canada’s Scarlett Delgado and she needs only one further step to qualify. Another Asian boxer, South Korea’s Im Ae Ji also secured her place in the last eight after beating France’s Romane Moulai.
Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao Wen is the biggest name in the women’s bantamweight (54kg) among those who did not qualify for the Olympics yet. The Tokyo bronze medallist used her longer hands to keep the best distance against Denmark’s Melissa Mortensen and she had the massive advantages on the scorecards. The referee counted her European opponent in the third round and after her clear RSC success, she advanced to the key quarter-finals.
South Korea’s Oh Yeon Ji is their best female boxer who has not only 13 years of international routine but she is a multiple Asian Champion. The South Korean was fully focused on her quota bout in the afternoon session against Finland’s Vilma Viitanen and she had the nice counter-punches in all of the three rounds. Oh not only won the contest but she qualified for the Olympics after the Tokyo edition once again, taking South Korea’s first spot in boxing for Paris.
Kazakhstan’s Valentina Khalzova, the former World Champion, dominated her Round of 16 bout at the women’s middleweight (75kg) today, she was in different level as Mongolia’s Erdenetuya Enkhbaatar. The next Asian battle in this weight class was held between Thailand’s Asian U22 Champion Baison Manikon and South Korea’s Seong Su Yeon. The Korean was competitive only in the first round following Manikon switched into a higher tempo, her strategy worked better.
Philippines’ Asian Grand Slam winner Hergie Bacyadan switched to boxing only in 2019 but she is a top boxer at the women’s middleweight (75kg). The Filipina received a warning in the first round from the referee and she had the disadvantage against Hungary’s Veronika Nakota after three minutes. Bacyadan was slightly better in the second and due to her effective attacks in the third round, she could turn back this Round of 16 contest.
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