Sorry, says Aira Villegas Following her Bronze in Paris
AIRA VILLEGAS – Filipina boxer Aira Villegas apologizes after earning bronze in 2024 Paris Olympics.
EJ Obiena was the first. Then, early on Wednesday morning, Aira Villegas did the same, having missed the opportunity to transform a bronze medal into something shinier.
“I’m sorry,” she said, mainly addressing those who stayed up to watch her semifinal bout against the precise Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkiye in the 50-kilogram division of women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics. The day before, Obiena had also apologized to the nation after narrowly missing a podium finish in the pole vault.
“I apologize. I promised [I was] gonna go back after Tokyo and do better. I did, but it didn’t change in my book. I still came up short. I’m really sorry. I apologize for it,” said Obiena, who finished 11th in the Tokyo Games and fourth at Stade de France.
Villegas faced a skilled opponent and missed her chance for a final spot, losing to Cakiroglu at Stade Roland Garros.
With Villegas’ bronze, the Philippines’ medal tally now includes two golds and a bronze. Carlos Yulo secured both golds by winning the floor exercise and vault finals over the weekend.
This marked the first time in Olympic history that the national anthem was played twice at a single Games.
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Aira Villegas hopes it won’t be the last. She said, “I have a dream that before I retire, I want to hear our national anthem playing in the Olympics.”
Villegas’ achievement came a day before Nesthy Petecio’s semifinal match.