2024 PARIS OLYMPICS 3: AIRA VILLEGAS DEFEATS YASMINE MOUTTAKI OF MORROCO IN 50KG WOMEN'S BOXING
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 29 Jul 2024
Aira Villegas opened the Philippines' boxing campaign in the 2024 Paris Olympics and ensured that the country's boxers got off to a strong start. Villegas won by points against Yasmine Mouttaki of Morroco in the round-of-32 of the women's 50kg division in boxing, Sunday at the North Paris Arena (Monday in Manila).
All five judges ultimately scored the bout in favor of Villegas, scored it 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. The Filipina wobbled in the second round after Mouttaki connected powerful punches and got the advantage of their exchanges.
Mouttaki, a bronze medalist in the last IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, won just the second round as the three judges had given the round to Mouttaki, making the fight resolved in the decisive third round.
It was Villegas, an Olympic debutante, who won the third round as she landed the cleaner and more compelling blows in the final round.
Villegas will face No. 2 seed Roumaysa Boualam of Algeria in the round-of-16 on August 1.
* * *
Carlos Yulo advanced to the finals of the men's gymnastics event's all-around, floor exercise, and vault after his preliminary performance in the qualifiers at the Bercy Arena in Paris.
Yulo finished at No. 9 in the all-around with 83.631 points, and he also is second at the floor exercise with 14.766 points and sixth in vault with 14.683. The top eight of each apparatus and top 24 of the all-around event advanced to the final round.
* * *
After missing an outright quarterfinal berth, Filipina rower Joanie Delgaco still advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s single sculls in the Paris Olympics after topping the repechage 1 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Sunday, July 24.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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