Olympic medalist Yuberjen Martínez falls in the Pan American boxing quarterfinals

2023-10-24 19:03:05

SANTIAGO (AP) — Colombian Olympic medalist Yuberjen Martínez unexpectedly succumbed in the quarterfinals of the flyweight boxing division of the Pan American Games by losing by decision to the American Roscoe Hill on Tuesday.

The judges favored Hill 4-1 following three rounds. “Tremendous” Martínez, who won a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, kissed the canvas twice during the fight.

Martínez was left out of the fight for medals following having won silver at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games.

He also missed the opportunity to secure his ticket to compete in the boxing tournament at the Paris Olympics next year. But the Colombian will still have two ways to get the ticket through two qualifying tournaments in the first half of 2024.

The finalists in each division of Pan American boxing will qualify for Paris 2024. This is the sport in Santiago that will distribute the most places — a total of 30 — for the Olympic event.

Hill will face Dominican Yunior Alcántara in the semifinals on Thursday. Alcántara defeated Mexican Oscar Castañeda by unanimous decision 3-0.

The Colombian Cristian Salcedo defeated the Paraguayan Alejandro Núñez Sparlin by technical knockout in the second round to advance to the semifinals of the light heavyweight division and secured a place on the podium. Salcedo captured a silver at the Lima Games four years ago.

Yeni Arias also secured a bronze for Colombia by reaching the semifinals with a 4-1 victory once morest Mexican Gloria Fernández in the bantamweights. The Venezuelan Johana Gómez did the same by dispatching the Argentine Sofía Robles 5-0.

Mexican Citlalli Ortiz also secured bronze in the middleweight following beating American Naomi Graham 5-0.

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