Petecio, 3 others get crack at gold

MANILA, Philippines — Tokyo Olympics silver winner Nesthy Petecio overpowered Switzerland’s Ana Marija Milisic to lead three other Filipinos to the finals in the Boxam Elite Tournament in La Nucia in Alicante, Spain Friday.

The 31-year-old former world champion was just too much for Milisic, who decided it was enough and withdrew in the second round that sent the former straight to the finals in the women’s 57-kilogram class.

There, she would battle Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-Wen, a two-time world titlist and Tokyo Games flyweight bronze medalist who hurdled Spain’s Jenifer Fernandez Romero.

Petecio’s gold medal duel with Huang should be a gauge as to how ready she is on her Paris Olympics journey where she hopes to claim a berth and another shot at a medal, perhaps a gold.

Also making it to the final of their respective divisions were Hergie Bacyadan, Aira Villegas and 2016 Rio Olympics veteran Rogen Ladon.

Bacyadan, who is also a world vovinam champion, bested Mexico’s Citalli Ortiz, 4-1, in the women’s 75kg class and will clash with Kazakhstan’s Yerszhan Gulsaya, a 4-0 winner over Trinidad and Tobago’s Eyed George.

Villegas, for her part, smashed England’s Kelsey Oakley, 4-1, and will tackle Kazakhstan’s Kyzaibay Nazym, who downed Spain’s Laura Fuertez Fernandez, in the women’s 50kg section.

Ladon will tangle with Hungary’s Istvan Szaka, who trounced Spain’s Martin Molina Salvador, after a close 3-2 shave over Mexico’s Ari Bonilla in the men’s 51kg bracket.