Canadian boxer Wright 1 win away from qualifying for Paris Olympics

Canadian boxer Mckenzie Wright earned a 5-0 decision over Serbia's Nina Radovanovic on Saturday in Bangkok to move within one win of punching her ticket to Paris in a last-ditch Olympic qualifier.

Wright, who turned 34 on Friday, meets Mexico's Fatima Herrera on Sunday with an Olympic berth on the line.

The 50-kilogram fighter from Oakville, Ont., is the last of the nine Canadians still alive at the tournament. Scarlett Delgado lost a 5-0 points decision earlier Saturday to Mongolia's Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg in the 54-kg class.

Wright lost the first round on three of the five judges' cards but came on strong in the final two rounds, using effective movement and counter-punching to frustrate the Serb.

Wright, a graduate of Niagara College's practical nursing program, won her third senior national title in 2023 after a four-year hiatus from boxing. She also won bronze at last year's Pan American Games.

Delgado's bout turned in the second round when the Canadian was docked a point for excessive holding against the taller Mongolian, a bronze medallist at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships.