On Wednesday July 28, 25-year-old Skye Nicolson will fight for a guaranteed medal at the Tokyo Olympics, inspired by the memory of two brothers she never met. The Commonwealth Games wining featherweight carries the spirit of her late brothers Jamie and Gavin into her fights. They were killed in a car accident before Skye was born.
“Every time I step through the ropes I feel them with me,” Skye said prior to her gold medal performance on the Gold Coast. Jamie was a Barcelona Olympian and the bond between the two is palpable.
"I feel close to [Jamie]. It's a little bit eerie, I feel like I know him so well. Boxing has brought us closer. I'm doing everything he did. It's surreal. I know he's looking down on me. I know he's proud of me.”
Nicolson was superb in her round of 16 victory over former world youth champion Aeji IM of the Republic of Korea. After the fight she declared “I’m one fight away from the podium, let’s go, let’s do this, let’s bring home that gold medal to Australia.”
The next step is against Great Britain’s Karris Artingstall, the fellow southpaw upsetting Brazil’s world number three Jucielen Romeu to qualify for the quarters. The victor is assured of at least a bronze medal. Although it’s clear Nicolson is visualising an entirely different colour.
However first up for Australia is middleweight hope Caitlin Parker, described by Danny Green as “a beast in the ring” she fights Atheyna Bylon of Panama.
“To win here in Tokyo would be a dream come true, I’ve visualised it, I know I can beat all of them on the day,” said the girl who started boxing at 11, to learn how to defend herself.
“I actually started Taekwondo first, dad told me he wouldn’t let me walk to school until I had a black belt.”
Should Parker win her opening bout, the woman likely to be standing in her way will the world number one, Great Britain’s Lauren Price. The two met in the final at the Commonwealth Games with Price taking Gold but it’s a defeat Parker has since avenged.
“We are one each, I know I can beat her. If we fight, I’m ready.”
Parker has improved enormously in the past two years, her ability to fight inside now much stronger, making her a more dangerous opponent.
Also in action will be Australian light heavyweight Paulo Aokuso, a man proud of his Polynesian heritage who fights in honour of his family.
“My mum and dad inspire me every day, they have worked so hard to put a roof over our heads, they have done everything they can to support us,” he said.
Paulo’s brother Austin recently turned pro with a first up KO victory ‘I was thinking I want to turn pro one day, but being here in the village, seeing all these great athletes, it makes me want to stay amateur, to be like them.”
Aokuso will fight Spaniard Gazi Jalidov. Should the Australian win his likely quarter final opponent the world’s number one ranked light heavyweight, Kazakstan’s Bekzad Nurdauletov who beat the Australian just last year.
