Colombian boxer Angie Paola Valdés celebrates her victory at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Photo: AFP – MOHD RASFAN
Colombian Angie Paola Valdés won on Monday by a split decision (3-2) against Kosovo’s Donjeta Sadiku in the women’s boxing 60-kilogram category at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The Atlantan started with her guard up and with initiative. She executed more precise and technically superior punches than her opponent, swaying the judges’ opinions in her favor. The Kosovar had an explosive start but lacked the sufficient power to threaten her rival.
¡𝐺𝑟𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑐𝑖ó𝑛 𝑑𝑒 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑒 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑑é𝑠! 🇨🇴🥊
La boxeadora colombiana venció, por decisión dividida, a Donjeta Sadiku 🇽🇰 y avanzó a cuartos de final en los 60kg del boxeo de #Paris2024.
Tenacidad pura que llena de #OrgulloColombiano a toda una nación. pic.twitter.com/vKbbqUhhEU
— Ministerio del Deporte (@MinDeporteCol) July 29, 2024
In the second round, Valdés started with a punch that dislodged Sadiku’s headgear, who had begun with high speed but lost intensity over time. The fight became more evenly matched as the seconds ticked by, though the Colombian remained ahead as reflected in the judges’ scores.
The European tried to take the initiative in the final round. At that point, she showed her best version and cornered Valdés. In the last minute of the bout, the Atlantan felt fatigued but managed to endure and throw precise punches while defending herself. The judges awarded this round to the Kosovar.
However, when the bell rang, Valdés felt like a winner, as expressed by her body language before the announcement from the loudspeakers. The Kazakh Alisher Altayev raised the right hand of the Barranquilla fighter in the middle of the ring, thereby certifying her ticket to the quarter-finals, where she will face Irish boxer Kellie Harrington.
The 34-year-old Irishwoman, who just defeated the Italian Alessia Mesiano by unanimous decision (5-0), arrived at Paris 2024 as one of the favorites. In the previous competitions, namely the Tokyo 2020 Games, she won the gold medal and also became the champion last year at the European Games.
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