KENNETCOOK, N.S. – More than 400 of Wyatt Sanford’s neighbours in tiny Kennetcook, N.S., cheered this morning as the Nova Scotia boxer loomed large on an outdoor big screen and won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
Wyatt’s accomplishment marks Canada’s first Olympic medal in boxing since 1996.
The 25-year-old southpaw lost to Sofiane Oumiha of France at the North Paris Arena, but Sanford was guaranteed to win a medal regardless of the outcome of the match.
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Under Olympic boxing rules, the two boxers who lose in the semifinal round are awarded bronze medals rather than compete against each other.
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In Kennetcook’s Findley Park, a soggy baseball field about 4,900 kilometres from Paris, virtually everyone in the crowd was wearing red and waving Canadian flags as the match got underway.
The crowd roared every time Sanford landed a punch, but the upbeat mood was deflated after the third round when it became clear Wyatt would lose on points and miss his chance to compete for a gold medal.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024