Boxer Pihla Kaivo-oja advanced to the top eight at the Paris Olympics. Coach Maarit Teuronen was moved when talking about his important mentor.
Joel Sippola,
Manu Myllyaho
17:52•Updated 17:59
21-year-old Finnish boxer Pihla Kaivo-oja beat the USA handsomely in the second round Jennifer Lozano and advanced to the top eight. On Thursday, the Finn won the judges’ vote 5–0.
With his victory, Kaivo-oja is just one victory away from an Olympic medal. In boxing, bronze medals are awarded to the losers of the semi-finals.
Kaivo-oja’s boxing was as convincing as in the opening match, even though this time the opponent was ranked sixth in the tournament.
Like the opening match, Kaivo-oja moved extremely well. In the second round, he pounded a shorter American opponent with a series of hard strikes.
Kaivo-oja coach Maarit Teuronen was again an important support for the contestant during the match.
– Third round. Third round. With his mind set, Teuronen talked about what he was coaching before the third set.
Kaivo-oja looked good even in the final set, which bodes well. In the semi-finals, they will face Turkey Buse Naz Cakiroglu, who is the reigning world champion. In this tournament, he is ranked third.
– Once again, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed, Teuronen felt after the match.
Lozano was a boxer already familiar to Kaivo-oja from training camps.
– Some have said that they don’t spar with their opponents. I think we should spar. We get more out of it than others.
Victory over the mentor’s opponent
Teuronen became sensitive during the interview. US head coach Billy Walsh is an important person to him.
– He has been such a mentor to me, Teuronen said with emotion.
The match plan went as it should.
– Absolutely brilliant! It only got better the further we went. The concentration remained. He listened very well to what I gave him as instructions.
The Turk is ranked third in this tournament.
– I’m on fire from these places. We have the reigning world champion against us. We have nothing to lose. We’re going to kill him too. I hope we have success and a good match.