Olympic silver medalist Nesthy Petecio is looking forward to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Her pet event, the women’s featherweight class, will remain after the International Boxing Association confirmed that her weight category is among those that will be included in its new Olympic qualification system.
The new arrangement to be used for Paris 2024 got approval last week from the International Olympic Committee Executive Board following months of development.
Petecio settled for the silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics last year after she bowed to Sena Irie of Japan in the finals of the women’s 57 kg category.
However, the new system does not include the men’s 75 kg and the 52 kg events, which earned Eumir Marcial a bronze and Carlo Paalam a silver medal, respectively, in Tokyo.
For Marcial and Paalam to make it to the Olympics again, they will have to change their weight classes and seek qualification by fighting in a different category from their former divisions.
The newly formed International Boxing Association, in a recent statement, said this is the fairest qualification system ever.
The format offers a number of avenues from which to qualify, while the number of medal events for women has increased to six.
In the Paris Games, there will be seven medal events for men, but the split of athlete quota places between men and women is even at 124.
“IBA is very pleased with the results of our cooperation with the IOC in the development of this Olympic Qualification System and for the IOC’s approval of the categories for the tournament,” IBA President Umar Kremlev said.
The 30-year-old Petecio said it could either be the 54 kg and 57 kg class for her. But she may also have the option of the 66 kg or maybe, even the 75 kg if she is having trouble staying in her present weight class.
But for now, defending her crown in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam is her priority.
The seven men’s weight categories to be contested at the Games are the under-51 kilograms, under-57kg, under-63.5kg, under-71kg, under-80kg, under-92kg, and over-92kg.
The women’s competition is set to take place at under-50kg, under-54kg, under-57kg, under-60kg, under-66kg and over-75kg categories.