Petecio, Villegas book Paris Olympic berths

MANILA, Philippines – “I will not stop until I get the Olympic gold medal.”

That was a vow Nesthy Petecio will have a chance to fulfill after she and countrywoman Aira Villegas booked a ticket to this July’s Paris Olympics following their mammoth victories in the World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy Sunday.

Displaying imperturbable grit and superb fighting craftsmanship, the 31-year-old Tokyo silver medalist delivered another epic result that she was known to bring and bested a feisty Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey, 4-1, in their women’s 57-kilogram duel that earned the former a second Olympic tour of duty.

There, the former world champion will have an opportunity to claim what was denied of her following a heartbreaking finals loss in Tokyo — a glittering gold in Paris.

“I am so blessed. This is very important for me because maybe this is my last Olympics,” said Petecio in a recent interview with olympics.com.

In the same interview, Petecio dedicated her recent feat to country, family, friends, supporters and the late Ed Picson, the former Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president.

And then she made that promise of going for nothing but gold in Paris.

Making it a double celebration for the country was Villegas’ Paris quota-clinching triumph over Bulgarian Zlatislava Chukanova, 5-0, in a women’s 50kg division showdown that was far closer than the score depicted.

Villegas got the nod of two judges, 29-27 and 29-27, and had three ties of 28-28.

But based on tournament rules, judges will have to pick a winner in case their score ends in a tie.

They all picked Villegas.

It almost slipped away though as Villegas received a one-point penalty for holding and then she survived a third-round knockdown by hanging tough enough late to preserve the teeth-grinding, gut-wrenching result.

Petecio and Villegas thus joined fellow pug Eumir Marcial, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and gymnasts Carlos Yulo and Aleah Finnegan in the quadrennial spectacle set July 26 to Aug. 11.

The country had actually sent 10 boxers, including Tokyo silver winner Carlo Paalam, who painfully crashed out after sustaining a shoulder injury.

Paalam and the rest though will have one more chance to make the Paris cut as there will be one more qualification tournament in May in Bangkok, Thailand.