Elżbieta Wójcik was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games in Paris in the boxing category up to 75 kilograms. Our boxer lost a split decision 2:3 (28:29, 28:29, 29:28, 30:28, 28:29) to the representative of Panama, Atheyna Bylon. Wójcik won the first round 10:9 by all judges, but everything was decided by the third round, which was seen in favor of our boxer by only two judges. One more and it would have been a semi-final of the games.
They evaluated Elżbieta Wójcik's fight in the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games in Paris. “A strange verdict”
The judges’ verdict stirred up a lot of emotions, as it seemed that Elżbieta Wójcik had won the third round. Before the fight was even announced, Bylon looked as if she had accepted defeat, and Wójcik and her camp were celebrating. However, the judges ruled differently, which was commented on by journalists and pundits on social media.
“The tragedy of boxer Elżbieta Wójcik. She and the national team coaches were sure of victory, but the judges awarded it to the rival from Panama. The coaches are outraged. One talks about controversy, the other about fraud. Wójcik burst into tears and disappeared somewhere,” Agnieszka Niedziałek from Sport.pl reported from Paris.
“How on earth can one judge give 30:27 and the other 28:30? These are completely extreme verdicts,” wondered Filip Modrzejewski from Sport.pl.
“Why did they transport Ela, I have no questions… Refereeing at the Olympics is a joke,” stated former Polish boxer Grzegorz Proksa bluntly.
“It's a shame about Ela Wójcik. Imo [“wg. mnie” – przy. red.] the third round was hers. Thanks for the emotions,” said former MMA fighter Łukasz Jurkowski.
“The end of the third round decided the matter in my eyes in favor of Wójcik. The Polish woman should have won this fight – I have no idea how on earth three judges gave the last fight to Panama… What a pity…” – regretted Kacper Bartosiak.
“It's hard to accept this, because Elżbieta Wójcik didn't seem to be any worse in this fierce fight in the third round. What a shame!” wrote Sebastian Chabiniak from Eleven Sports, adding in a subsequent entry: “Even the lady from Panama seemed to know she had lost.”
“This verdict is strange. Ok, I agree, Elżbieta Wójcik lost the second round, but she probably didn't lose the third” – this is the opinion of Radosław Nawrot from Interia.
There was also a voice from a Polish MP. “Ela Wójcik should win this fight. It's a great pity… For us, Ela, you are the best. Great successes are ahead of you,” wrote Anna Krupka from Law and Justice.
The consolation for fans is certainly Julia Szeremeta, who broke the 32-year drought of Polish boxing and advanced to the semi-finals of the games. In it, she will face the Filipina Nesthy Petecio. This fight will take place on Wednesday, August 7 at 9:46 p.m.