The remaining quarter-final places were decided at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Bridgetown, Barbados, today as flyweight and featherweight boxers tussled on day 6 - the last day of the preliminary stages of the competition.

AIBA Report

Finland's Hanne Maekinen turned 28 today and celebrated her birthday in style with a clear 7:1 victory over Italy's Terry Gordini in the flyweight division.

"It was very difficult and she was very strong, but I managed to find my tactics," said the birthday girl, who boxes out of the Järvenpään Kehäkarhut club.

Maekinen will face the 2010 Oceania Champion Shannon O'Connell from Australia in tomorrow's quarter-final. O'Connell beat Mexico's Mariana Caballero 13:10 in the opening bout of the afternoon.

England's Nicola Adams was in no hurry to get to the ring for her contest against Virginie Nave from France. But the 2008 World Championship silver medalist from Leeds was in no hurry to leave the competition either, cruising to an easy 8:2 victory to book her place in the quarter-final against Korea's Jang Eu Na, who beat Vivien Mizsei of Hungary 7:5.

Argentina's Yanina Benavidez took the honor of landing the most scoring punches in any bout of the competition so far. She was 33:2 up when the referee stopped her contest against training camp graduate Olga Hadji from Moldova in the final round.

Benavidez will face the 2010 Nikolayev Women's Cup winner Tetyana Kob from the Ukraine. Kob dismissed the EU Women's Champion Stoyka Petrova from Bulgaria 13:7.

Ren Cancan's world championship campaign continued with a 9:4 victory over Turkey's Sumeyra Yazici today but strong contender Marlen Esparza of the USA had to bow out of the competition. A warning against her opponent, Peamwla Laopeam from Thailand, for head-butting at the end of the third round drew the scores level, but Laopeam recovered to win out 5:3 at the closing bell to set up a quarter-final meeting with Ren.

In a second success for Thailand, Tassamalee Thongjan outclassed India's Pavitra 10:0 in the featherweight division to book a quarter-final place against Brazil's Taynna Cardoso, who beat Sweden's Helena Falk 7:3 today.

Asian featherweight champion Yun Kum Ju made easy work of her bout against Nagehan Gul from Turkey. She will face Poland's Sandra Kruk in tomorrow's quarter-final. Kruk dismissed Ashley Brace from Wales 17:7.

German national champion and EU Championships bronze medalist Maike Klueners and South Africa-born Alexis Pritchard from New Zealand had a thrilling contest. Pritchard, a 26 year-old sports science and physiotherapy student, was unable to make the most of her superior 176 cm frame and Klueners edged ahead to win 10:8.

"I didn't realize I was so far behind but I knew that I had more in me," Klueners said. "I managed to bring it out because I know I'm on top form. I had to find my legs but I had great guys in my corner helping me on. They were telling me that my stance was wrong because she had the distance and had long arms. So I looked for the infight and that's where I made up the points."

Tunisia's Rim Jouini drove her team-mates in the stands into a frenzy as she stormed to a 12:5 win over Kazakhstan's Dina Zholaman. "I was a bit nervous," she said "but in the end I had the courage to raise the Tunisian flag." Jouini will face Germany's Klueners in tomorrow's quarter-final.

China's Yang Yanzi allowed opponent Reyna Cotija from Mexico only one scoring punch in their contest, racing ahead to book her quarter-final place with a 12:1 victory. She will face Italy's Marzia Davide, who eliminated Russia's 2010 Nikolayev Cup winner Victoria Gurkovich 9:3 in the day's final bout.

A total of 34 different nations now go through to the quarter-final stages, with China and Turkey clear favorites, having qualified 7 and 6 boxers respectively. Russia, Poland, Hungary, Kazakhstan, North Korea and the United States have all put four boxers through; Ukraine, Romania, England, Germany, India three and Bulgaria, Norway, Netherlands, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil and Australia two. In Europe, France, Sweden, Greece, Wales, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Spain, Finland and Italy have all put one boxer through, as have Sri Lanka, South Korea, Canada, Argentina and Tunisia as the sole representative from the African continent.

Article & Photo : AIBA