BOXING: More judging issues as Russia leads the medal table at Women’s World Championships

New World Champion Danielle Perkins (USA: +81 kg)

The 11th edition of the AIBA women’s World Championships were a good one for the home team, but there was more judging controversy in a couple of high-profile bouts that impacted the medals.

A total of 224 fighters from 57 nations competed in the Russian city of Ulan-Ude and Russia led the medals list with three wins and six total medals in the 10 weight classes. Ekaterina Peltceva (48 kg), Liliya Aetbaeva (51 kg) and Zenfira Magomedalieva (81 kg) all won and Liudmila Vorontsova (57 kg) made her final.

A new rule put in place by the AIBA to allow a post-match review of the decision changed the gold-medal result at 75 kg. Dutch fighter Nouchka Fontijn, who won the silver medal in this class in 2018, was declared the winner of a tight final with Commonwealth and European champ Lauren Price of Wales by 3:2 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28 vs. 28-29, 28-29).

But Price’s corner appealed and the jury awarded the match and the title to Price.

“I definitely thought I did enough to win; the first round was close but I definitely thought I won the second and third rounds,” said Price. “I need to thank my corner because they appealed when the decision was made and the judges went back and overturned the decision in the second round.”

Seven-time medal winner Mary Kom of India was also irritated by the judging, which eliminated her in the semifinals of the 51 kg division with Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkey, 4-1. “I am certainly very unhappy with the judging. This loss is unacceptable to me,” she said.

“I could never imagine that something like this would happen to me. I am quite shocked.” Even so, Kom’s bronze medal gives her eight career Worlds medals (6-1-1), the most by any female boxer in the 19-year history of this event.

China was second on the medals table with five (1-3-1) and had the only repeat winner from 2018 in Dan Dou at 64 kg. Turkey (1-2-0) and the U.S. (1-0-2) each had three medals, with Danielle Perkins winning the heavyweight division (+81 kg) over defending champ Xiaoli Yang of China.

The U.S. also won three medals in 2018 (0-0-3), but this was the first gold medal since Clarissa Shields won at 75 kg in 2016. Summaries:

AIBA Women’s World Championships
Ulan-Ude (RUS) ~ 3-13 October 2019
(Full results here)

48 kg: 1. Ekaterina Peltceva (RUS); 2. Manju Rani (IND); 3. Chuthamat Raksat (THA) and Demie-Jade Resztan (ENG). Final: Peltceva d. Rani, 4 judges to 1.

51 kg: 1. Liliya Aetbaeva (RUS); 2. Buse Naz Cakiroglu (TUR); 3. Chol-Mi Pang (PRK) and Mary Kom (IND). Final: Aetbaeva d. Cakiroglu, 4-1.

54 kg: 1. Hsiao-Wen Huang (TPE); 2. Caroline Cruveillier (FRA); 3. Jumana Boro (IND) and Mikiah Kreps (USA). Final: Huang d. Cruveillier, 4-1.

57 kg: 1. Nesthy Petecio (PHI); 2. Liudmila Vorontsova (RUS); 3. Yu-Ting Lin (TPE) and Karriss Artingstall (ENG). Final: Petecio d. Vorontsova, 3-2.

60 kg: 1. Beatriz Ferreira (BRA) 2. Cong Wang (CHN); 3. Mira Potkonen (FIN) and Rashida Ellis (USA). Final: Ferreira d. Wang, 5-0.

64 kg: 1. Dan Dou (CHN); 2. Angela Carini (ITA); 3. Ekaterina Dynnik (RUS) and Milana Safronova (KAZ). Final: Dou d. Carini, 5-0.

69 kg: 1. Busenaz Surmeneli (TUR); 2. Liu Yang (CHN); 3. Lovlina Borgohain (IND) and Saadat Dalgatova (RUS). Final: Surmeneli d. Yang, 4-0.

75 kg: 1. Lauren Price (WAL); 2. Nouchka Fontijn (NED); 3. Tammara Thibeault (CAN) and Khadija El-Mardi (MAR). Final: Fontijn d. Price, 3-2; overturned on appeal and Price awarded bout.

81 kg: 1. Zenfira Magomedalieva (RUS); 2. Elif Guneri (TUR); 3. Lina Wang (CHN) and Thi Huong Nguyen (VIE). Final: Magomedalieva d. Guneri, 5-0.

+81 kg: 1. Danielle Perkins (USA); 2. Xiaoli Yang (CHN); 3. Dina Islambekova (KAZ) and Katsiaryna Kavaleva (BLR). Final: Perkins d. Yang, 5-0.