Nesthy Petecio is flashing her world champion prowess in the Tokyo Olympics.

Petecio, the 2019 world champion, became the first Filipina boxer to win an Olympic medal, securing at least a bronze for the country in the quadrennial meet’s featherweight event on Wednesday, July 28, at the Kokugikan Arena.

The Filipina earned a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, over Colombia’s Yeni Marcela Arias Castaneda in the women’s featherweight quarterfinal.

With the win, Petecio became the first Filipino boxer to secure a podium finish in the Tokyo Games. She also became Philippine boxing’s first Olympic medalist since Onyok Velasco won a silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Games.

This will be the first time in 89 years the Philippines will win multiple medals in the Olympics.

In the 1932 Los Angeles Games, the Philippines delivered three bronze medals courtesy of swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso, boxer Jose Villanueva, and high jumper Simeon Toribio.

Petecio will vie for a slot in the gold medal round on Saturday, July 31, 12:39 pm, Philippine time, against Italy’s Irma Testa in the women’s featherweight semifinal.

In the quarterfinal, Petecio flashed her dominant form from the get-go as she earned the favor of all five judges, 10-9, in the first round.

Though Arias Castaneda rallied back in the second, the Davao del Sur native outlasted the Colombian to close out the bout with the lead.

Petecio is riding on her list of accolades, which include the 2019 women’s boxing world championship title and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold. – Rappler.com