Mary Spencer One Step Closer To Olympic Dream After Beating Friend Turned Foe Ariane Fortin
THE STAR
Friday January 13, 2012
©Photograph By Andrew Vaughan/THE CANADIAN PRESS
It was the biggest win of boxer Mary Spencer’s life, a huge step in her quest for Olympic gold, but her celebration in the ring was muted.
Spencer had just rallied to pound out an 18-12 decision over good friend turned fierce foe Ariane Fortin to win the women’s 75-kg title at the national boxing championships in Cape Breton, N.S.
A three-time world champion and reigning titlist in the 75-kg division, Spencer now needs a top-eight finish at the world championships in China in May to book her ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.
As world champions and roommates on team road trips, Spencer and Fortin held a fervent dream of representing Canada together when women’s boxing debuts in London. But when the number of weight divisions was pared from five to three, it put the tight tandem on a collision course.
On Friday night before a raucous crowd at Ring 73 in Glace Bay, the Olympic dream died for Fortin and Spencer felt her pain.
“I went up to her and I wanted her to know that this is a bittersweet victory for me, that I’m not jumping up and down and trying to rub it in and going crazy because it’s the biggest victory of my career,” said Spencer in a telephone interview. “I didn’t want to do that because I know that as big of a day as it is for me, it’s a bad day for her. Read More
Tags:Ariane Fortin, Mary Spencer
Filed Under: Amateur News
