Mandy Bujold, Caroline Veyre win boxing gold
A raucous home crowd helped Canada win back-to-back gold medals at the Pan American Games.
Mandy Bujold of Kitchener, Ont., and Montreal's Caroline Veyre won their weight class finals within minutes of each other on Saturday night, taking Canada's boxing medal tally up to three gold and three bronze.
Bujold beat Marlen Esparza of the United States in a split decision in the women's flyweight final.
"It was amazing, honestly," said Bujold with a Canadian flag draped over her shoulders while Veyre fought in the ring. "Just coming here, I knew a lot of my friends and family were going to be out, so it was absolutely incredible. I knew I had to stay focused and not really think about them being in the crowd.
"But at the same time when I needed that extra bit of motivation, to really push myself, I think I heard them yelling 'Go Canada! Go Canada!"'
Judge criticism
Judges scored it 38-38, 37-39, 39-37 in Bujold's favour. Esparza did not mince words when asked what she thought of the decision, dismissing it with a curse word.
"I could agree with a split, but I wouldn't agree with it going her way at all," said Esparza. "I beat her five times and I beat her the same way every time.
"Just because I'm in Canada. Whatever. They got what they wanted."
A flurry of punches ended the fourth and final round of the match between Bujold and Esparza, with a few extra thrown after the bell. The aggression continued well after the match.
"Some people are bad losers," said Bujold when she was told of Esparza's comments. "It's a part of the game. When you're fighting in Canada you know you can't make it a close fight. Just like when I go over there.
"I fought her in her hometown and it was a split decision. That's what happens."
Bujold is the first woman to win two Pan American boxing championships and hopes to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Bujold said before the match that fighting Esparza was what she had been training for leading in to the Games.
"I knew she was going to come in, she throws a lot of hooks, a lot of overhand rights," said Bujold. "I could see her overhand right, she winds it up every time she's about to throw it.
"I was just jab, jab, wait for her overhand, block it, come with a straight punch up the middle."
Gold again
Veyre defeated Argentina's Dayana Sanchez in a split decision in the women's lightweight final as Bujold and Esparza spoke with reporters.
The win was scored 40-36, 40-36, 38-38 for Veyre, who also spoke about the support of Canadian fans.
"It helped me so much to win," said Veyre. "Everybody coming like this, you feel the support and you want to give more. I was more active than usual thanks to that.
"I think that's what helped me to win the fight."
On Friday night Toronto's Arthur Biyarslanov won the men's light welterweight final in a split decision over Cuba's Yasnier Toledo.
Ringside judges scored the bout 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 in Biyarslanov's favour.
