CINDY NGAMBA had to settle for Olympic bronze after she was edged out by Atheyna Bylon in their 75kg semi-final on Thursday night.
Ngamba dropped the first round on all five scorecards but came storming back in the second. It looked as though she might be on her way to Saturday’s final when Bylon was deducted a point for holding in the third.
However, the Panamanian still did enough to secure a 4-1 split decision victory, ending Ngamba’s memorable Parisien sojourn.
The 25-year-old, who was born in Cameroon but moved to the UK when she was 10, competed for the Refugee Olympic Team and the bronze she secured by virtue of her thrilling run to the semis is the first medal they have ever claimed.
There were boos around Roland Garros when the decision was announced, such was the support for Ngamba – not that Bylon cared as she danced around the ring in celebration of the result.
The tall southpaw from Panama had started well, keeping things long against Ngamba, who was always attempting to close the distance and work up close. Ngamba had landed a couple of right hands with her very first attack but Bylon soon settled.
It was little surprise that the judges thought she won the first but Ngamba emerged with renewed vigour in the second, much to the delight of the crowd who chanted her name as she started to enjoy more success. A sharp right hand with a minute left in the second started a sustained period of pressure for Ngamba and four of the five judges had her winning the second.
But the pendulum swing again in the third as Bylon began to pick Ngamba off with the check right hook from her southpaw stance, one of which nearly dropped the University of Bolton graduate.
However it looked like disaster had struck for Panama when the referee deducted a point from Bylon for persistent holding. By now she was on thin ice and she was told off once again with 30 seconds remaining.
But even with that deduction, Bylon claimed a split decision. Ngamba, meanwhile, will return home knowing she made history for her team in Paris.
In the preceding bout, an upset looked to be on the cards when Australia’s Caitlin Parker won the first round in the eyes of all five judges against China’s Li Qian.
However she let it slip in the second and third as Li took over, landing consistently with her straight right hand. The rounds were competitive but she did enough in the eyes of the judges to claim a unanimous decision, setting up a showdown with Bylon in the final.
Earlier, the men’s 57kg final was decided. First, Uzbekistan’s Abdulmalik Khalokov, the 1-0 professional, beat Australian Charlie Senior 5-0. Then Kyrgyzstan’s Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu also guaranteed himself at least a silver with a 4-1 victory over Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez Diaz.