SANTIAGO, Chile –

Canadian boxer Tammara Thibeault completed her double at the Pan American Games.

The 26-year-old from Shawinigan, Que., won gold in the women's middleweight class and also qualified for next year's Olympics in Paris.

“It means a lot,” Thibeault said. “Of all the tournaments I competed in, I was able to win gold and I missed the Pan Ams. Now I missed the Olympics, but hopefully we're on the right track and that's what we'll get. .

“I'm very proud of myself, very proud of my team. I couldn't have done it alone.”

Thibeaut beat Panama's Atheyna Bylon by unanimous decision on Friday in a rematch of the 2022 world championship final, which Thibeault also won.

“We know each other pretty well. He's a tough fighter to fight. He's skilled. He's a little rough,” Thibeault said. “I'm a little disappointed with my performance today. I managed to win, yes, but I could have boxed better.

“I'm going to clean it up a little bit, use straighter punches, hold back less, work more inside, be more tactically smart and not let it get too messy and too close.”

The Canadian qualified for Paris with his semifinal win earlier in the day. The top two fighters in the top weight classes in Santiago, Chile, punched their tickets to Paris.

Thibeault will represent Canada at the Olympics for the second time after reaching the quarterfinals in Tokyo two years ago.

His bronze medal at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, was upgraded to silver a year later due to a doping violation by his opponent.

Wyatt Sanford of Kennetcook, NS, will fight Friday night for Pan Am gold in the men's light welterweight division. He also qualified for Paris.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 27, 2023.