Beatriz Iasmin Soares Ferreira has become a two-time Olympic medalist…
The 31-year-old Brazilian professional boxer, who has held IBF lightweight title since April 2024, lost in the semifinals of the women’s lightweight boxing category at the 2024 Paris Games to Ireland’s Kellie Harrington, but didn’t leave empty-handed.
In a rematch of the 2020 Tokyo Games final, Soares took home the bronze medal in the loss.
When the two fought in Tokyo three years ago, Harrington trailed after the first round, but frustrated Ferreira with her neat footwork and technical boxing to ultimately win on points and claim the gold.
This time around, the Irishwoman controlled the bout and prevented Ferreira from turning the fight into a slugfest as she ducked and weaved while landing some crunching blows of her own.
“It just feels fantastic to get that fight out of the way, because Bea is a fantastic opponent and since Tokyo she’s gone on to do great things in the professional ranks,” Harrington said.
When the two fought in Tokyo three years ago, Harrington trailed after the first round, but frustrated Ferreira with her neat footwork and technical boxing to ultimately win on points and claim the gold.
This time around, the Irishwoman controlled the bout and prevented Ferreira from turning the fight into a slugfest as she ducked and weaved while landing some crunching blows of her own.
“It just feels fantastic to get that fight out of the way, because Bea is a fantastic opponent and since Tokyo she’s gone on to do great things in the professional ranks,” Harrington said.
She previously represented Brazil at the 2020 Tokyo Games, winning the silver medal in the women’s lightweight event, the best performance by a Brazilian female boxer.
Soares is a two-time world champion, taking the gold in 2019 and 2023.
She’s the eldest of three daughters by a fellow boxer, Raimundo Ferreira, known as “Sergipe” and twice Brazilian champion and three times champion of their home state of Bahia.
