Wyatt Sanford will snap a lengthy Canadian medal drought in Olympic boxing.
Sanford, from Kennetcook, N.S., guaranteed Canada’s first medal in the sport since 1996 with a split-decision win over Ruslan Abdullaev of Uzbekistan on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the men’s 63.5-kg division in Paris.
There are two bronze medallists in each boxing division, meaning both semifinal losers are assured of standing on the podium.
David Defiagbon’s heavyweight silver from Atlanta 1996 is the last Olympic boxing medal for Canada. Lennox Lewis is the most recent Canadian Olympic champ, winning heavyweight gold in 1988.
Sanford, 25, is the only male on Canada’s boxing team for the second Olympics in a row. He won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games to book a Paris ticket.
The Canadian will fight in the Olympic semifinals on Sunday. The final is next Wednesday.
