(SPOT.ph) Boxer Carlo Paalam has secured the Philippines another Olympic medal! He defeated Uzbekistan's Shakhobidin Zoirov in the quarterfinal match on August 3. This guaranteed bronze is the latest in our winning streak courtesy of Filipino boxers at the Tokyo Olympics. And better yet? Paalam's win secures our fourth medal—the most the Philippines has ever won at a single Olympic Summer Games.
Paalam's medal is our third one from boxing at the Tokyo Olympics. Boxer Eumir Marcial knocked out Armenian foe Arman Darchinyan at the first round in the men’s middleweight quarterfinals on Sunday, August 1. His was the medal that put us at an equal count with our 1932 Los Angeles Olympics record. Back then, our athletes came home carrying three bronze ones, our highest tally since—well, until now!
Our first two medals (Read: Our first multi-medal win since 1932 as well), were won for us by two Filipinas. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz went straight to the top of the podium for Women's 55-kilogram on July 26—our first-ever gold medal at the Olympics! Boxer Nesthy Petecio soon followed suit by securing bronze on July 28 and then punching her way to a silver on August 3!
Also read: Two Filipinas Have Given Us Our First Multi-Medal Olympic Win in Nearly a Century
The three boxers—Petecio, Marcial, and Paalam—are in the running for gold medals as of writing. So while we've already surpassed our old record, our athletes are sure to push for another feat by winning a gold streak. Plus, the Summer Games end on August 8 and there are the likes of golfers Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagadanganan, among others, to keep track off. We could surpass our 1932 medal count by a lot more!
Our previous record for most medals from a single Olympic Summer Games was at Los Angeles in 1932. Our athletes snagged three bronze medals: Teofilo Yldefonso, Simeon Toribio, and Jose Villanueva. Yldefonso, the "Ilocano Shark" for swimming, Toribio for high jump, and Villanueva for boxing.
UPDATED (August 3, 2021): This article was updated after Carlo Paalam secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
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