Olympic Boxing Profile: Irma Testa

In the 13th 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 Irma Testa of Italy, the gold medal favourite in the women’s featherweight division. Testa’s nickname is butterfly.

World Champion

Testa won the gold medal in the women’s featherweight division at the 2023 World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi. After a first round bye, Testa defeated Leilani Reyes of Guatemala 4-1 in the second round, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hao of Vietnam 5-0 in the third round, Jucielen Romeu of Brazil 5-0 in the quarterfinals, and bronze medalist Amina Zidani of France 5-0 in the semifinals, and Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan 5-0 in the gold medal bout. The original bronze medalist Yu-ting Lin of Chinese-Taipei was disqualified for failing to meet eligibility rules.

World Championship Silver Medalist

Prior to winning gold at the 2023 World Women’s Boxing Championship, Testa won silver at the 2022 World Women’s Boxing Championship in Istanbul. The only boxer to beat Testa was Lin.

Youth Olympic Games Silver Medalist

At the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, Testa won the silver medal in the women’s flyweight. The only boxer to beat Testa was gold medalist Yuan Chang of China.

Two-time European Championship Gold Medalist

Testa won the gold medal in the women’s featherweight at the 2019 Women’s European Boxing Championship in Alcobendas, Spain and again at the 2022 Women’s European Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro. In 2019, Testa beat Karriss Artingstall of England in the final, and in 2022, Testa beat Svetlana Staneva of Bulgaria in the final.

Olympic Bronze Medalist

Testa won the bronze medal in the women’s featherweight division at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021. Along the way she beat Liudmila Vorontsova of the Russian Olympic Committee 4-1 in the first round, Michaela Walsh of Ireland 5-0 in the second round, and Caroline Veyre of Canada 5-0 in the quarterfinals. Sena Irie of Japan won the gold medal, Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines won the silver medal, and Artingstall won the other bronze medal.