2023 Pan American Games: Beatriz Ferreira, Jajaira Gonzalez secure boxing Olympic quotas

The first eight boxing Olympic quotas of the 2023 Pan American Games were secured on a thrilling day of quarter-final action in Santiago, Chile, on Wednesday (25 October).

Four spots for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 were available in both the women's 60 kg and 57 kg events, meaning that all the day's winners in these categories would secure quotas.

The women's 60 kg bouts were up first at the National Olympic Training Centre, and 2018 Youth Olympic champion Jajaira Gonzalez (USA) secured one courtesy of a 5-0 win over Camila Paola Pineiro Muino of Uruguay.

Despite giving up several inches in height to her opponent, the American owned the centre of the ring from the start and landed several combinations in an aggressive opener.

The second round saw defence become an afterthought as the pair exchanged blows.

Knowing that she had done enough, Gonzalez boxed smart in the third, landing punches and retreating out of Muino's reach to secure the match.

"It's a great feeling, I feel like I'm dreaming!" Gonzalez told Olympics.com after. "It means everything as the Olympics are what I've been working so hard for."

"I hit a lot of bumps along the road but I just had to be patient and now that I'm here, I'm going to keep going harder and harder.

"Now we're going to go for the gold medal at the Pan American Games and then hopefully the gold at the Olympic Games."

Joining Gonzalez in the final four is two-time world champion Beatriz Ferreira, who underlined her status as the gold medal favourite after stopping Costa Rica's Pamela Esperanza Sanchez Valdivia in the first round.

The Brazilian landed two early combinations that both resulted in standing-10 counts, before the referee finished the bout early to confirm her place in the semi-finals.

"We never fought before. I already have fought with a lot of Americans, but not with her," Ferreira told Olympics.com afterwards of her final four showdown against Gonzalez. "It's going to be an excellent fight. She will go for it and myself too and we'll see who's better."

• How to qualify for boxing at Paris 2024 Olympics
• Pan American Games 2023 Boxing Preview: Full schedule and how to watch live
• You can watch the boxing action live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app.

Earlier, Colombia's Angie Paola Valdes put on a masterful display of counterpunching to beat Venezuela's Krisandy Rios Ojeda 3-1.

After being skipped around in the first round, Ojeda closed the space on her opponent and started to land in the second.

But Valdes found a higher gear in reply, and every one of the Colombian's punches, swerves, and even a skip or two, were met with roars of delight from her fans in the crowd in the third as took the win.

María José Palacios Espinoza of Ecuador also eased into the semi-finals thanks to a 5-0 victory over Argentina's Victoria Oriana Saputo.

Espinoza used her longer reach to devastating effect, consistently finding the mark with her jabs and hooks before retreating well clear of Saputo's counters.

There will be 30 Olympic quotas secured in total at the 2023 Pan American Games, ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 next year.

As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

Deafening roars brought in the evening session as local fans packed into the arena to cheer on Chile's Tamara Elizabeth Maturana Soto against Valeria Arboleda Mendoza of Colombia in the women's 57 kg quarter-finals.

Despite the constant chants of "Chi-le, Chi-le, Chi-le", Mendoza was able to weather an early storm with some slick footwork before landing several clean jabs in the second and third rounds to take the contest 5-0, and secure an Olympic quota.

Ashleyann Lozada Motta was next to secure a quota with a victory over Canada's Marie Alahmadieh.

Skipping around the ring, the Puerto Rican landed seemingly endless amounts of combinations, and despite being met with some robust counter attacks, ran out a comfortable 5-0 winner.

The 2023 Pan American Games saw a women's team from Cuba participate for the first time ever, and their best-performing fighter Legnis Cala Masso valiantly went down 5-0 to Venezuela's Omailyn Carolina Alcala Segovia.

Both athletes traded big punches in the battle for the centre of the ring, but Segovia's superior accuracy saw her run out a comfortable winner.

The final quota match of the day sawBrazil's Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu defeat Daisy Nelly Bamberger Hoang of Peru 5-0.

Romeu displayed unbelievable hand speed to connect with jab after jab, and looks set to be a gold medal threat.