Before representing the country in the Paris Olympics last year, Nesthy Petecio dropped hints of that being her Games swan song. But failing to strike gold for the second straight time has just driven her to ditch that plan and make another go at it.

“That’s right, I did say that [Paris was] going to be my last Olympics. I was really confident with myself and my training together with my [coaches] and the whole team’s support,” Petecio told a pair of reporters in Filipino on Monday night after being feted the President’s Award by the Philippine Sportswriters Association.

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The fighting pride of Davao del Sur was not able to bring home the gold after losing to Julia Szeremeta of Poland via a majority decision in the semifinals but still landed the bronze.

But during that moment, standing on the podium, Petecio was already mulling whether to give her dream another chance.

“When I lost, I asked the Lord for a sign if I should continue,” she said. “And while I was standing on the podium, I was looking at our flag for third place, I said ‘that should be in the middle.’”

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“So I said, ‘Is this your sign, Lord?’” she added.

There’s still a long way to go before Petecio can even think about getting another shot at that goal, starting with whether boxing will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games as the International Olympic Committee is still deciding its fate.

Other goals

She has, however, set her sights on other goals starting with the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England in September.

“Jan. 5, I reported back to Baguio City. I want to show my coaches that I am really willing to start again this year,” she said. “I’ll focus first on the World Championships this September and the SEA (Southeast Asian) Games. I want to be a world champion again.”

But even with the odds in her favor, the 32-year-old boxer would rather maintain a humble approach to tick off things off her to-do list.

“I’d rather keep things smooth and not put [being a favorite] in my head, so that there is no pressure,” she said. “I do not like to think that I am really strong and good. I’ll go back to the basics, start from scratch and not bring my previous achievements.”

She’s even put her famous quote out of its own Olympics retirement.

“Walang hinto, hangga’t walang ginto.”