Spryfield’s Bianca Paquin has a date with an Olympian on Saturday.
The four-time Canadian amateur boxing champion (pictured left) will seek to make it five when she meets 2016 Olympian Mandy Bujold in the women’s 51-kilogram class at the national tournament in Quebec City. Both are current national team members.
The 19-year-old Paquin defeated Ontario’s Jessica Brugess 2-1 in her semifinal on Thursday night while Bujold swept all three rounds against Ontario’s Kassandra O’Reilly to advance.
“Got the win tonight in the semis!” Paquin said on Twitter. “Fighting 2 time Pan Am Gold medalist/2016 Olympian for the gold on Saturday!”
The news wasn’t as good for Kennetcook’s Wyatt Sanford (64 kg), a three-time Canadian champion who drew 2016 Olympian Arthur Biyarslanov in his second bout in as many days. Biyarslanov beat the Citadel fighter 3-0.
Natali Fagan, also of Citadel, is headed to the final after winning her semifinal at 75 kg over Ontario’s Nikita Abbott.
Matthew MacDonald (Tri-Town) lost 3-0 to Quebec’s Esteban Nadeau (youth 66 kg) and Josh Prince (Tri-Town) fell 2-1 to Quebec’s Raphael Courchesne (youth 69 kg) Both were semifinals.
Jon Sinclair (Membertou) lost 3-0 to B.C.’s Robert Couzens (69 kg elite male) and Josh Jay (Canning) got stopped in the second round (69 kg elite male) by Alberta’s Dennis Babich.
Norma Marshall (Albion) is the lone Nova Scotian in action on Friday, fighting a semifinal in the women’s 64 kg elite division against national team member Sara Kali.
Source: localexpress.ca
