Canada Finally Ends Olympic Boxing Medal Drought

The 2024 Summer Olympics are over and the athletes are heading home. The Canadian contingent is returning home with something it hasn’t had in a long time: a medal in boxing. Thanks to Wyatt Sanford, a streak that has lasted since 1996 is finally over.

In Olympic boxing, there is no bronze medal match. Therefore, both losers of the semifinals receive a bronze medal. Sanford put up a fight against France's Sofiane Oumiha in the semifinals of the men’s 63.5-kilogram class. Oumiha, a three-time light-weight world champion, proved to be too much for Sanford despite a few promising moments.

“I'm super happy with the performance, I just didn't get the outcome. That's just the way it goes," Sanford said after his semifinal loss. "It took me a bit too long to get used to his speed as he is super fast. I knew I was down after the first round, but then I usually am."

Even with the loss, just reaching the semifinal was historic for the 25-year-old native of Kennetcook, Nova Scotia. He fell two wins short of becoming the first Canadian boxer to win Olympic gold since Lennox Lewis did so in 1988. However, Sanford is returning to Nova Scotia with a medal, becoming the first Canadian boxer to do so since David Defiagbon won silver in 1996.

“It was great to have some support in the stadium from Canadians. It was great to have the support from back home in Kennetcook," says Sanford. “I can't wait to get back there to celebrate the bronze medal with my family and friends who have been there for me since day one. It's fantastic to be able to give them something back for all that support over the years.”

To his credit, Sanford wasn’t far from having a chance to fight for a gold medal. While Oumiha won the first round in the eyes of all five of the judges, two judges sided with Sanford in the second round. The Canadian then won favor from four of the five judges for his performance in the third round. In the end, Oumiha won 29-28 from four of the judges with Sanford earning a favorable ruling by the same score from one of the judges.

At age 25, Sanford still has a promising future in the ring ahead of him. He can now add an Olympic bronze medal to his resume that also includes winning gold at the 2023 Pan American Games. His success in Paris will surely bring added excitement to his first post-Olympic fight, especially since Sanford will return to Canada as a national hero.

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