World boxing champion Stonkutė: this victory for the whole of Lithuania
The 21-year-old boxer, who became the first world boxing champion in the history of our country, defeated Kazakh Yulzhan in the quarterfinals, broke the European champion and multiple world championship winner Elk Guneri, the host of the ring in the semi-finals, and scored 5: 0 in the final.
G. Stonkutė, who made her debut at the World Adult Championship, won not only a gold medal, but also 100 thousand. USD cash prize and add to your medal collection. Lithuania has become the European Youth Champion, and has won silver and bronze medals at the European Youth U22 Championships.
“I still can’t believe it, I feel like in a dream, I tweak myself. I really didn’t expect this, it’s a surprise to myself and I’m very happy about it. In fact, I was very afraid of this consent because I find it very difficult to speak. I felt the tension of the morning, I was nervous, but now I am really glad that my victory received such an evaluation. This is very important to me, ”said G. Stonkutė at Vilnius Airport.
– Gabriele, what led to the victory in the debut world championship?
-I had a very high self-confidence, I did very well in the training camp with my competitors – Kazakhs, Indians, Turks. After the first fight at the World Cup, I realized I could win everything – and I went all the way.
– When did you believe you were a champion?
– I didn’t think about it at all during the fight, only after the fight I realized that I would stand on the best step. For me, this victory means a lot, but it is not only my victory, this victory for the whole of Lithuania, for the whole boxing community. That’s the most important.
– How do you feel after the championship?
-There is a slight muscle aches, but everything went better than I expected, the overall well-being is really good.
– Did you feel any sports anger after the European Youth Boxing Championship, when the judges gave the victory to the opponent in the semi-finals? Maybe it helped win the World Cup?
– No, I had no anger, calm in the ring, confident. I knew what I could do, and I also learned what I needed to do. Most importantly, everything went well, and even better than I expected.
– Which fight was the hardest in the world championship?
– I felt the greatest tension before the semi-finals when I had to meet a representative of the hosts. For me, it was the hardest struggle of my entire career. The fight was modest, I was very excited about the judges ’decision, but I’m glad everyone made the right decision, there was no corruption.
– You are a world champion, in two years the Olympics will take place, is it natural that people will expect your successful performance in Paris as well?
– In fact, I feel more pressure than usual. But also so that I can grapple with all the contestants, I trust after the championship jumped even further, then I will try to live up to all expectations and continue as best I can. There are two years left until the Paris Olympics, and that is our main goal now. All work and effort will be devoted to the best possible preparation for the Olympic Games.
– Did you win not only a gold medal, but also a solid bonus? What will you do with the cash prize?
– I have no idea what I’m going to do with the money. I hope to invest them somewhere wisely. But I have no plans at the moment.
– What are your biggest wishes now and your future plans?
– Now I want to rest because I was very tense. In addition, I am a student, so I have to deal with all the sciences because I have not been to university for a very long time.
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