Nesthy Petecio lost steam in the final two rounds against a spirited opponent and missed the chance to advance to the final of the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s boxing event.
Szeremeta reached the final after winning on four of the five judges’ scorecards.
The 20-year-old Polish fighter, the youngest semifinalist in the women’s boxing event, fought back into contention in the second round after getting shut out in the first, using her reach to blunt Petecio’s combinations.
With well-timed counters, Szeremeta evened up the cards heading into the third and then continued to up her work rate, as Petecio seemed content looking for landing spots for her big combinations.
Petecio was the last fighter standing for the Philippine boxing team, which was reduced to a two-bronze output after a strong performance in the Tokyo Olympics where the squad collected two silvers and a bronze.
Aira Villegas was the other bronze medalist for the squad this year.
Eumir Marcial, a bronze winner in Tokyo, and Hergie Bacyadan lost their opening bouts while Tokyo silver medalist Carlo Paalam dropped out in the quarterfinals.