Canada’s Wyatt Sanford secures medal in Olympic boxing

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 in 1996 was Canada’s last Olympic boxing medal. Lennox Lewis is the most recent Canadian Olympic champion, 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.