In the sixth of a series of profiles leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, we are taking a look at some of the world’s elite boxers who will be competing at the biggest sporting event of the world this month. Here is Canada’s Wyatt Sanford of Kennetcook, Nova Scotia, the Pan American Games gold medalist in the 63.5 kilogram weight class this past November.
Who did Sanford beat at the Pan American Games in Chile?
Sanford opened the men’s 63.5 kilogram competition at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago with a convincing 5-0 win over Lazaro Alvarez of Cuba in the round of 16. That was followed by a 5-0 win over Luciano Amaya of Argentina in the quarterfinals, a 5-0 win over bronze medalist Yuri Falcao of Brazil in the semifinals, and a 5-0 win over silver medalist Miguel Martinez of Mexico in the gold medal match. Alexy de la Cruz of the Dominican Republic won the other bronze medal.
Drop in weight class
Sanford initially competed in the men’s welterweight division at the 2019 World Boxing Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia. After beating Nicolae Bucsa of Romania 5-0 in the first round, and Laszlo Kozak of Hungary 3-2 in the second round, he lost to eventual gold medalist Andrey Zamkovoy of Russia 5-0 in the third round. Sanford then competed in the men’s 69 kilogram weight class at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. However he lost his first match rather convincingly, 5-0 to Merven Clair of Mauritius. It was after the last Olympic Games that Sanford decided to drop down to the light welterweight division, and it is here he has had success within the Americas.
Married to High Profile Diver
Sanford married Pamela Ware of Greenfield Park, Quebec last year. Ware is a four-time medalist in diving for Canada at the World Diving Championships.
Canada at the Olympic Games in boxing
Seventeen times Canada has won a medal in boxing at the Olympic Games, with three of the 17 medals gold. The Canadian Olympic gold medalists in men’s boxing have been Bert Schneider of Montreal, Quebec (welterweight division at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp), Horace Gwynne of Toronto, Ontario (bantamweight division at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles), and Lennox Lewis of Kitchener, Ontario (super-heavyweight division at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul).
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