One came out in red, the other in blue, and both are now bronze medalists… at least. Yunior Alcántara, in the flyweight category, and Cristian Pinales, in the light heavyweight category, secured their respective tickets to the semifinals of the Olympic boxing tournament on Friday, and with it, two more medals for the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic’s first medals in Paris, and its 13th and 14th in the Olympic Games, do not yet have a color, but they do have enormous meaning.
In just 15 minutes, Pinales and Alcántara doubled the historic haul for Dominican boxing in the Olympic Games, which previously boasted the gold medal of Félix Díaz in 2008 and the bronze of Pedro Nolasco in 1984.
“It’s something that was given to us, thank God,” Pinales said. “The Dominican Republic, like me, is extremely happy, extremely pleased. In Dominican boxing we have made history.”
Alcántara reached the flyweight semifinals with an entertaining 3-2 victory over Spaniard Rafael Lozano, in which no boxer won a single round on the five scorecards and the vote of the fifth judge, who saw the fight 29-28, tipped the balance and unleashed a host of emotions.
The second medal 🥉 has arrived for DR 🇩🇴 in boxing!
Our #Dominican pride 🇩🇴 Cristian Pinales 🥊🇩🇴 has just secured a bronze medal in the 80 kg after beating Croatian Gabrijel Veocic by unanimous decision of the judges.
Thank you Pinales!!
We are still with you!!… pic.twitter.com/2H15EuNT6g
— Ministry of Sports (@miderec_rd) August 2, 2024
“I feel extremely grateful to God, who is the author of this great feat,” said Alcántara with a calmness that did not reflect the tension he experienced on the ring. “A very good boxer, very fast, very technical, just like me. We have a similar style and that’s why it was perhaps a bit complicated for both of us.”
The drama that Alcántara experienced in the ring, Pinales experienced outside the ring. On the ring, the native had no problem against the Croatian Gabrijel Veocic, winning all the cards, all the rounds and a path to the podium. And that was even though he couldn’t concentrate.
“I was able to see it because having a teammate ahead of me is something special,” he said. “I couldn’t even warm up properly because of the excitement, the desperation. I had to see him raised in order to calm down.”
🇩🇴 MEDAL SECURED IN #PARIS2024 🇫🇷
Yunior Alcantara secures the bronze medal in boxing @paris2024 in the 51 kilogram division.
On Sunday he will compete in the semi-final at 6:20 in the morning, against the French Billal Bennama.
👏 Congratulations Yunior 🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/7aX94EB9kn
— Dominican Olympic Committee (@COLIMDO) August 2, 2024
Now, neither man can relax. Alcantara faces local sensation Billal Bennama for a place in the final, while Pinales will be looking to advance to the gold medal match against Kazakhstan’s Nurbek Oralbay.
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