7 Aug 2012

Pritchard loses quarter-final bout

5:42 am on 7 August 2012

New Zealand boxer Alexis Pritchard has been defeated in the quarter-finals of the women's lightweight boxing.

The fight was always going to be a challenge, as her opponent, Russia's Sofya Ochigava, is second seed in the event.

Pritchard lost all four rounds on points, with a final score of 22-4 to Ochigava.

She took a standing count in the third round.

Ochigava will now fight Adriana Araujo from Brazil in the semi-finals, while Ireland's Katie Taylor and Mavzuna Chorieva from Tajikstan will meet on the other side of the draw.

The 28-year-old says that despite the loss she was happy with her performance, handling her nerves better than in her first-round match.

One of Pritchard's problems in London has been that because there are only three women's boxing divisions, she has had to fight in the 60kg lightweight division.

She says she has gone up a couple of kilos, while her opponent came down a couple. It doesn't sound a lot, but makes a difference in terms of power and compactness.

This is the first year women's boxing has been held at the Olympic Games.

Pritchard and Siona Fernandes, who lost on Sunday, were New Zealand's only two boxing representatives in London.