Marco Verde Secures Bronze for Mexico at Paris Olympics

With great punch and stoicism to respond to adversity, boxer Marco Verde Álvarez secured the fourth medal for Mexico at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, after advancing to the semifinals of the 71 kilogram category, to guarantee, at least, the bronze in the French capital.

The feat of the current Central American and Pan American champion, whose father Manuel Verde was an Olympian in Barcelona 1992, came after defeating Indian Nishant Dev by split decision 4-1 in the round of the best eight.

In this way, the Mazatlan athlete played his part in the current Aztec harvest that has two silver medals, in judo with Prisca Awiti and in diving with Osmar Olvera and Juan Celaya, as well as the bronze of the women's archery team (Alejandra Valencia, Ana Vázquez and Ángela Ruiz).

The medal secured by Verde Álvarez is the 14th for Aztec Olympic boxing and the 77th for the country in its competitive history within the summer event. Being considered a welterweight, this metal in the 71 kilograms means the first Mexican in that category, while the remaining 13 are divided into four for bantamweight, three for flyweight, two for featherweight, two for middleweight, one for lightweight and one for fullweight.

On August 6, Verde will face the British Lewis Richardson in the semifinals. If he loses this fight, the color of his Olympic medal will be bronze, but if he manages to overcome the European he will advance to the grand final that will be disputed on August 9 against the winner of the fight between the American Omari Jones and Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev, from Uzbekistan.

Unlike professional boxing, where the first round is usually used to study the opponent, the Olympic boxers went out to give it their all from the start of the fight to share blows. The most accurate was by the Mexican with a blow that forced the referee to make a protective count for Dev, who from that moment on began to dirty the fight with constant hugs to his adversary.

Despite this, four of the five judges gave the initial round to the Asian, so Verde Álvarez came out more aggressive in the second round, in which, based on his straight blows, he made his rival retreat. The combinations of the Aztec were enough for him to take three of the five cards and for everything to be decided in the final round.

In the last and decisive minutes, the Mexican boxer gave his all and knew how to take advantage of his better physical condition at that stage of the fight, in which Dev was unable to respond well to the attacks. He also lost on the offensive side, so the final cards dictated 4-1 in favor of Verde Álvarez (28-29, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 and 29-28) and his passage to the semifinals.

Nishant Dev became the second Olympic victim of the Mazatlan boxer, who had previously defeated Tiago Muxanga, from Mozambique, in the round of 16 by split decision with a 3-2 on the final scoreboard.

Boxing brings another medal to Mexico in the Olympic Games through Marco Verde

In a vibrant fight, Marco Alonso Verde Álvarez secured this Saturday a fourth medal for the Olympic harvest that Mexico maintains in Paris 2024, after overcoming the quarterfinals of the 71 kilogram category.

The Mazatlan boxer came from behind and recovered after losing the first round of the fight in a packed Paris Arena Nord against the Indian Nishant Dev, for which he assured that he felt pressure because this sport has given, so far, 13 Olympic medals to Mexico.

"It was a lot of pressure because boxing has always had medals and here I added another, so I am very happy, but this is already in the past, I do not like to be confident, I have a very tough rival coming, we saw it a little, there is no easy rival for me, they are all like a final and I went out to give it my all," he commented.

“We lost the first round, I was doing things wrong, I felt very anxious about trying to push, but my coach in the corner put my ideas in order, and we were able to do well,” he added.

After the result, which puts him in the medal zone, Marco Verde said that he shares this achievement with his teammates Miguel Ángel Martínez, Fátima Herrera and Citlalli Ortiz who fell by the wayside in this summer competition.

“I have many tears of happiness, I can't even talk yet, but I'm happy. It was a lot of pressure to see my teammates who fell by the wayside, it hurt me a lot, but this medal is as well for them,” he shared.

With the passage to the semifinals, Marco Verde secured a bronze medal; However, if he wins the next fight, he will advance to the final searching for another championship to add to his list of achievements after the crown obtained at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador 2023 and the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023.

The boxer's next fight is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 6, against the British Lewis Richardson, while the American Omari Jones and the Uzbek Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev star in the other semifinal.