5th AIBA Women's World Championships Ningbo City 2008 official page

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An historic day for Canada, Poland and for India's Mary Kom, as the 5th edition of the AIBA Women's World Championships drew to a close in Ningbo, China amongst wonderful scenes of celebration and accomplishment.

Light Middleweight (70kg) Arianne Fortin and Welterweight (66kg) Mary Spencer become Canada's first double gold medallists for either women or men after they beat China's Yang Tin Tin 11:6 and Vanessa Nicol Jackson of the USA 9:2 respectively to become became world champions for the second time in their careers on Saturday.

Pic: Canada's Mary Spencer, a 2005 world champion, on top of the 2008 World Championships 66kg podium in Ningbo

"This is just awesome, I love it" Fortin, the defending world champion, said. "It's obviously tough to beat China on their home patch and to do so makes it all the more special. I was sure I could beat her, I had the skills I just had to concentrate."

Spencer won gold in 2005 but lost in the semifinals in 2006 and had revenge on her mind.

"This means a lot to me, I was heartbroken after the defeat in India," the 24-year-old said. "For the past two years all I have been thinking about is this moment. It means a lot to get my medal back.

"The competition here has been excellent throughout. At the beginning I had my usual bout of competition jitters but my toughest bout was in the quarterfinals (a 8:6 win over Russia's Irina Poteyeva). In the final I knew I could beat her, I had beaten her 4:0 in the Pan American Games but I didn't want that to affect me."

Canada had previously won gold in 2006 (Fortin) and 2005 (Spencer) but never more than one in any one tournament.

Pic: Canada's Arianne Fortin has claimed successive Women's World Championship titles

Meanwhile Pinweight (46kg) Kom, 25, dedicated her fourth successive World Championship title to her twin sons Rechungvar and Khuneigar, who were born in August last year, after beating Romania's Steluta Duta 7:1 in a repeat of the 2006 final.

"I am so thrilled, this is amazing," Kom, who has appeared in every edition of the AIBA Women's World Championships claiming four gold and one silver (2001), said. "There were times during this tournament that I wasn't sure but I got better and better as the tournament went on. The final was tough, Steluta was very strong but I ground out an excellent victory. It is an amazing feeling to be a world champion for the fourth time."

Karolina Michalczuk will also be the toast of her country after claiming Poland's first Women's World Championship gold medal with a 10:6 win over England's Nicola Adams, who also had the honour of being the first Women's World Championship medallist for her country.

"I don't have any words to describe this moment," 29-year-old Michalczuk said. "I am stunned. I never dreamt I could become a world champion and now the moment has arrived."

Pic: Poland's first ever Women's World Championship gold medallist Karolina Michalczuk

Other key results saw defending Lightweight (60kg) champion Katie Taylor named as the Boxer of the Tournament after she convincingly beat China's Dong Cheng 13:2 in an incredible display of speed and power in the final. Dong had no answer to Taylor's superior combinations and sublime speed.

"This has been a dream," the 22-year-old duel international said. "Finally it's all over, the pressure back home was immense and all I feel now is relief, relief that it is over and that I have pleased the fans back home with this victory. People even came from Beijing to spur me on so the support was incredible I am happy I delivered."

While two-times Middleweight (75kg) champion Anna Laurell from Sweden just wasn't one her game as she went down 9:1 to China's Li Jin Zi.

China topped the medal standings with an incredible total of 11, of which five were gold while Turkey and Canada claimed two golds apiece. Russia holds the overall record for number of gold medals with seven, which it won in 2005 in Poldosk. 

The next AIBA Women's World Championships will be held in 2010 at a venue still to be decided.

Draw Sheets: 46kg 48kg 50kg 52kg 54kg 57kg 60kg 63kg 66kg 70kg 75kg 80kg 86kg
Medalists by weight Category 
Medal Standings
Top 8
Tournament Statistics
Team rankings

 Entry List by Country
 Entry List by Weight Category
 Number of Entries by Country
 Competition Schedule
 Referees & Judges

 2006 Women's World Championships Results
 2005 Women's World Championships Results
 2001 and 2002 Women's World Championships Medalists and  Medal Standings