Parker’s plea as Games’ boxing future goes on the line
Caitlin Parker has made one final plea for boxing’s Olympic survival as Australia’s history-making Games pugilist prepares to walk the amateur and professional ranks tightrope.
The Australian boxing captain will leave Paris as the country’s first female boxing Games medallist, winning bronze in the 75kg division at her second Olympics.
Teammate Charlie Senior also won bronze in the 57kg division, their twin medals decided within an hour of each other at Roland Garros on Thursday, then awarded in Saturday’s ceremony.
It’s just the second time, and first in 64 years, Australia has won two boxing medals at the same Games and their seventh and eighth in total since Reginald Baker won middleweight silver in 1908.
Australia is still chasing a boxing gold though and as it stands the sport is no certainty to feature at the Los Angeles edition in four years.
The sport must find a new sanctioning body to oversee Olympic competition after the International Boxing Association were stripped of their duties because of integrity issues.
Women’s boxing has only been included since 2012.
Parker, who now plans to balance an amateur and professional career, says it’d be a “tragedy” if it all stops now.
“Boxing has got to be there; it’s one of the oldest Olympic sports,” she said.
“See the crowd that’s here, there’s no way it can’t be in.
“And I just hope that the powers that be make it happen, get their heads together, make it happen because it would be a tragedy if boxing wasn’t at the next Olympics.”
Parker and Senior will now contemplate turning professional, although it’s possible to do both since a 2016 rule change.
“I’d love to test myself out in both,” Parker said.
“And (looking ahead to the 2032 Games in) Brisbane, listen to the atmosphere the French are bringing right now.
“Oh my God. Yeah, that would be incredible (to box there), but one step at a time.”
Backflipping British-born, Perth-raised Senior has proved a crowd-pleaser with his acrobatic antics in the ring after each fight, even somersaulting alongside his conqueror in the semi-final.
“I go out there to put on a show; people can knock me if they like, it might not be their style but you’ve only got three, three-minute rounds as an amateur,” he said.
“So you either do it quick or it don’t work. So go out, put on a performance and then finish off with a bang.”
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