Croatian Mariela Šteko becomes European boxing champion
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
Croatian Mariela Šteko becomes boxing champion of Europe (Photo: HBS)
Croatian boxing sensation Mariela Šteko has just become the European Junior Champion.
The 17-year-old won the 63kg weight class at the 2023 European Championships in Armenia after defeating Aleksandra Jankowiak from Poland in a tough, exhausting final that was uncertain until the end.
The judges’ decision was split 3:2 in favour of Mariela, but after reviewing the fight, the supervisory judges confirmed Mariela’s 5:2 victory.
Mariela won the junior title last year in Montesilvano, Italy, and has now added another title to her name, making her a two-time European champion.
Mariela’s journey to the gold medal was not easy, as she had to defeat the local Armenian champion, and the current younger senior European champion from Romania in the semifinals.
The young Croatian boxer, who is also a model and pianist, expressed her feelings shortly after winning the gold medal at the European Championships. She said, “It was a very tough fight, incredibly exhausting. I am overjoyed, but I need some time to recover. The judges awarded the first round to the Polish boxer, and I had to turn the match around in the next two rounds. I succeeded, and I cannot describe how I feel. All the hard work, training, tournaments, and sparring sessions have paid off.”
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“Congratulations go to Mariela’s father and coach, Mladen Šteko, who expertly prepared her for the European Championships and introduced her to the higher category of younger female boxers, which is a big difference (junior female boxers fight two-minute rounds, while younger female seniors fight three-minute rounds),” The Croatian Boxing Federation said.
“I cannot express all the emotions I feel in words! I cannot describe how proud I am of Mariela and that we have repeated our success and won the European title for the second time,” said Mladen Šteko.
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Mariela is a two-time European champion, and is the pride of Croatian boxing and the entire Croatian sports community,” the Croatian Boxing Federation concluded.
