About 15 minutes after Nesthy Petecio clinched the Philippines鈥� first-ever medal in Olympic women鈥檚 boxing, Irma Testa laughed with joy when she achieved the same history for Italy.
When Sena Irie also clinched Japan鈥檚 landmark first women鈥檚 boxing medal a few hours later, she didn鈥檛 contain her tearful glee at her accomplishment during an Olympic tournament thick with women鈥檚 boxing history at the Kokugikan Arena.
鈥淚t was the result of 13 years of work for me,鈥� Irie said through a translator. 鈥淏ut this tournament is a very big moment for women鈥檚 boxing in Japan and in the world. We have come a long way. I hope this helps our sport.鈥�
Just nine years after the sport鈥檚 debut in London, the biggest women鈥檚 boxing field in Olympic history is more talented and more exciting than ever before 鈥� and it鈥檚 flattening all kinds of milestones in Tokyo.
Petecio, Testa and Irie made their bits of national history Wednesday by winning in the quarterfinals of the Olympic 57-kilogram featherweight division, which didn鈥檛 exist before this year. Tokyo features 100 women fighting in five weight classes, nearly tripling the 36 fighters who competed in just three classes in London and Rio.
Women鈥檚 boxing has grown rapidly over the past decade, both at the amateur and professional levels. But the sport has reached another level of legitimacy and attention in Japan, and it鈥檚 mostly because of the blossoming of the seeds planted in London.
Dozens of girls who watched the sport鈥檚 debut on television from Britain in 2012 are all grown up now, and they arrived in Tokyo ready to fight.
Caroline Dubois was only 11 when Ireland鈥檚 Katie Taylor and Britain鈥檚 Natasha Jonas fought each other in the quarterfinals of the London Games. Taylor went on to win gold, and Dubois was fascinated.
Dubois is now the loaded British team鈥檚 lightweight, and while she鈥檚 pleased by the increased number of fighters, she knows the sport鈥檚 overall rise in quality is more important 鈥� and more daunting.
鈥淚t鈥檚 mad how the level, the experience, the talent has all gone up,鈥� Dubois said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so many talented people here with so many great styles. When Katie Taylor and Natasha were here, there were a few standout talents, like them and (two-time U.S. gold medalist) Claressa Shields. There were a few girls who were just above the rest. But the level has just gone up so much. Everything is even. Everybody is so talented.鈥�
The increase to 100 boxers is important, but the additional weight classes are even bigger to the fighters. Professional boxing has 17 weight classes for men and usually 10 for women, but boxers who don鈥檛 weigh close to the broader limits set by the Olympic sport 鈥� eight for men and five for women in Tokyo 鈥� are at a disadvantage that only gets smaller when classes are added.
For instance, Testa fought at 60-kilogram lightweight in Rio de Janeiro, and she struggled against stronger opponents. Five years later, she could compete in a lighter weight class in Tokyo 鈥� and she promptly secured a medal.
鈥淔eatherweight is best for me,鈥� Testa said. 鈥淓very opponent and girl is very strong, but I feel better with myself. It鈥檚 very different. I鈥檓 very grateful.鈥�
Most of the women fighting in the new 69-kilogram welterweight class feel the same, including U.S. representative Oshae Jones. In London and Rio, the span between 60-kilogram lightweight and 75-kilogram middleweight was unbridgeable for many fighters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to be the first welterweight, because in boxing, women still don鈥檛 get the same rights and privileges as the men,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淲ith two more weight classes, I think we鈥檙e getting neck and neck with the men. I mean, our female team is tougher than the men, so I know we鈥檙e going to make the most of it.鈥�
The Olympic success of women鈥檚 boxing has even helped the pro game: After women鈥檚 boxing spent decades being treated as a curiosity or a sexist sideshow in the pro ranks, the Olympics propelled Shields and Taylor to professional careers while boosting the overall profile of the sport.
Promoters are now taking it seriously, which means increased audiences and greater opportunities 鈥� even if the financial rewards don鈥檛 match the men yet.
What the future holds for Olympic women鈥檚 boxing is just as unclear as the fate of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), which championed the advances in women鈥檚 boxing before being suspended for the Tokyo Games over years of financial and ethical problems.
The sport鈥檚 top officials and competitors would all like to add more fighters and more weight classes to pull even with the men, but the Olympics declined to increase the sport鈥檚 total athlete quota before Tokyo, which meant more women and fewer men competing in 2021.
With Paris only three years away, many of the women in Tokyo are already making plans for 2024 鈥� but they know the competition to get there will be even tougher.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many more females out there,鈥� said Britain鈥檚 Karriss Artingstall, the fourth featherweight quarterfinalist. 鈥漈here鈥檚 just not the categories for them to fill yet. There鈥檚 thousands, millions of girls that want to compete at the international level. They can鈥檛 get the opportunity yet, but it鈥檚 coming. Women鈥檚 boxing is still just getting huge.鈥�
鈥擥reg Beacham, The Associated Press
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