Tammara Thibeault’s Paris Bid Ended in a Close Ngamba
Tammara Thibeault lost to Cindy Ngamba of the Refugee Olympic Team by split decision in Paris on July 31, 2024. The women’s 75 kg round-of-sixteen contest ended the Canadian’s second Olympic campaign.
A narrow opening defeat
Boxing Canada reported that Thibeault started strongly and took the opening round. Ngamba improved as the contest progressed and won the judges’ verdict by three votes to two.
Coach Vincent Auclair credited Ngamba with cleaner punches in the third round. Thibeault finished outside the quarterfinal places after entering Paris as a leading Canadian boxing contender.
The achievements behind her Olympic return
Thibeault had reached the quarterfinals at Tokyo 2020, finishing tied for fifth. In 2022 she won middleweight world championship gold as well as Commonwealth Games gold.
Her gold medal at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games secured qualification for Paris. She arrived at her second Olympics having remained unbeaten since her Tokyo quarterfinal defeat.
Her 2022 world title came through a four-to-one final victory over Panama’s Atheyna Bylon, following three unanimous-decision wins. She had already earned World Championship bronze in 2019. Thibeault also won continental championship gold in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Away from competition, she completed an Urban Studies degree at Concordia University in 2023, balancing her education with the international boxing schedule.
Sources
- Boxing Canada: July 31 result and coach’s assessment
- Canadian Olympic Committee: Thibeault’s titles and Paris qualification
- Team Canada: Thibeault’s Olympic and world championship record
