Canada's Tammara Thibeault, Wyatt Sanford win Pan Am boxing gold with unanimous decisions
Each fighter had already booked spots at Paris Olympics with semifinal triumphs
Canadian boxers Tammara Thibeault and Wyatt Sanford captured gold medals at the Pan American Games with unanimous points decisions (5-0) on Friday in Santiago, Chile.
Thibeault beat Panama's Atheyna Bylon in the women's 75-kilogram final, while Sanford triumphed in the men's 63.5 kg final against Mexico's Miguel Angel Martinez.
Both Canadians were tied after two rounds before coming out on top in the third and final round to take gold.
"It means the world," Thibeault said. "Out of all the tournaments I've been to, I've been able to capture gold and I was missing Pan Ams. Now missing the Olympics, but hopefully we're on the right path and that's what we're going to get.
"I'm very proud of myself, very proud of my team. I couldn't have done it alone."
WATCH | Thibeault defeats Bylon for gold medal:
The Shawinigan, Que., native will arrive in Paris next summer looking to complete her golden collection.
Thibeault, 26, also holds the 2022 world and Commonwealth Games titles.
She booked her spot at next summer's Olympics by winning her semifinal on Thursday. Now, she'll work toward improving on her Canadian women's record quarterfinal finish from Tokyo 2020.
In a rematch of last year's world championship, Thibeault and Bylon traded blows throughout. Despite their similar statures, contrasting styles turned the fight into a strategic battle, with the Canadian looking to aggressively attack while the Panamian preferred to pick her spots.
It was Bylon who held the advantage with three of five judges after the first round, prompting Thibeault to lean even further into her quick-strike ability. By the end of the second round, four judges had the tilt all-square, with one favouring the Canadian.
WATCH l Thibeault discusses her gold-medal victory:
A tense final round saw the combatants take turns holding the seeming advantage, with Bylon controlling much of the pace. But a late flurry from Thibeault might have swung things the other way, and the Canadian emerged with a unanimous victory.
"We did know each other pretty well. She's s tricky boxy to fight. She's skilled. She's a little rough," Thibeault said. "I was a little disappointed in my performance today. I pulled off the win, yeah, but I could have boxed better.
Thibeault now holds the 2-0 edge in title fights over Bylon — but the next one could be for the Olympic crown.
Sanford and Martinez both landed good shots in their opening round, but all five judges sided with the Mexican.
Martinez continued to score in the second round, but Sanford responded with sharp counters to even the cards.
The slugfest continued in the third round with the gold medal up for grabs, and the relentless Sanford maintained pressure down the stretch to claim the light welterweight crown.
WATCH l Sanford tops podium with win over Martinez:
"Getting the gold medal is a huge accomplishment; super happy," Sanford told CBC Sports' Rob Pizzo after the win.
Sanford, who is married to Canadian Olympic diver Pamela Ware, said he was happy to bring home a gold of his own after Ware won two events in Santiago.
"I needed at least one to keep up," Sanford said with a smile.
"Super proud of her; she did absolutely amazing. Just overall great performance from both of us at the Pan Am Games."
Winning is fun!<a href="https://twitter.com/robpizzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@robpizzo</a> caught up with newest gold medallist Wyatt Sanford 🥇🇨🇦 <a href="https://t.co/78VcLmEzy3">pic.twitter.com/78VcLmEzy3</a>
—@CBCOlympicsThe 24-year-old from Kennetcook, N.S., also had unanimous points victories in all three of his fights leading up to the final. He punched his ticket to Paris on Thursday with his semifinal win.
Sanford was the lone man on Canada's boxing team at the Tokyo Olympics, where he was eliminated in the Round of 32.
Track cycling gold
Canada added to its medal haul in Santiago with gold in the men's team pursuit track cycling event later on Friday at the Velódromo Parque Peñalolén.
Carson Mattern of Ancaster, Ont., Vancouver's Campbell Parrish, Michael Foley of Milton, Ont., and Vancouver's Sean Richardson beat Colombia by nearly nine seconds in the final, lowering their own Pan Am record with a time of three minutes 53.593 seconds.
WATCH | Canadian men claim team pursuit gold:
Canada set the previous mark just a day prior with a qualifying time of 3:55.981.
"It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience for me," said Mattern, who was 2022 junior track world champion in the men's individual pursuit and omnium. "I've been to a few World Championships and other events and the vibe is unmatched here.
"Just being around all the best athletes from our country as well as others uplifts us to do the best and represent Canada the best we can."
Foley was part of the men's team pursuit squad that finished fifth in Tokyo — Canada's best Olympic result in the event since 1932.
Live coverage of the Pan Am Games continues Saturday on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.
WATCH | Late highlights from Friday's action in Santiago:
With files from The Canadian Press
