Mandy Bujold headlines strong Canadian Olympic boxing team
Boxers include 2 Pan Am Games champions
Canadian boxers Mandy Bujold, Arthur Biyarslanov and Ariane Fortin are set to make their Olympic debuts in Rio.
The trio were officially named by Boxing Canada on Thursday. They earned their spots on the team at the 2016 AOB American Olympic Qualification Event in March in Buenos Aires, Argentina where they each finished amongst the top-two of their respective weight category.
The three athletes impressed at last summer's Pan Am Games.
Bujold, of Kitchener, Ont., successfully defended her Pan Am championship in the women's 51-kilogram on home soil, while Toronto's Arthur Biyarslanov claimed his first Pan Am gold in the men's 64 kg.
Fortin, of Saint-Nicolas, Que., is a two-time world champion in the women's 75 kg weight class.
"I am looking forward to representing Canada in Rio. This is a dream come true for me," Bujold said. "Lots of hard work and dedication has gone into this goal and it's exciting to finally call myself an Olympian."
Bujold fell short of qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics despite winning gold at the 2011 Pan Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Rio Olympics will mark a historical first in Olympic boxing as headgear is removed from the men's competition. The 13 Olympic boxing events will run from Aug. 6-21.