Mandy Bujold will compete in the Olympics for the second timeA pregnant boxer missed the Olympic qualification due to her inability to fight, but she won one of the biggest fights she ever had - to be at this summer's Tokyo Games.Mandy Bujold (11-time Canadian champion) will be in Japan following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (Cas ) ruling in her favor.Bujold won gold at the Canadian qualifier December 2019, and was looking set to compete at her second Olympics. However, the last Americas qualifying event earlier in the year had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.The International Olympic Committee (IOC), together with its boxing taskforce, announced that qualification would be determined on three events starting in 2018 and 2019, while flyweight Bujold was on leave.She told BBC that she and her team looked at the impact on her life and decided it was unfair. These events were retroactively chosen as qualifying events, so I was excluded."Out of all the battles that I have prepared for throughout my career, I didn't think the fight for gender equality would be the most difficult.It was the biggest fight of my career and also had the most meaning. "I was standing up for what I believed in right and what I had worked so hard to achieve."Bujold, a bronze medallist in the Commonwealth Games and two-time Pan-American champion, thought that writing to the IOC following its initial decision would suffice for a change of heart.After her request was denied, she appealed to Cas. On Wednesday, Cas ruled in her favor, stating that accommodation must be provided for pregnant women or mothers on maternity leave during the qualification period.She said, "This is certainly a beginning to something larger." "This is a precedent-setting step forward for the next generation. It is more than just a medal or placing.Bujold will now complete her preparations for Games which start on 23 July.She said, "The fact I was away with my pregnancy and returned at the level I did means that I probably have more experience with that big break than many other athletes." "But we haven’t been able step into the ring in order to compete."However it was preparing for [the legal battle], the nerves and anxiety, adrenaline, and the anxiety... it was probably as close as you can get to a boxing match."Tokyo will be Bujold’s last competition, as she plans on retiring this year. She is proud that her 2-year-old daughter can watch her compete.She said, "I wanted her here and to be part of this moment even though it's not clear what's happening.""It was so important for her see what was happening. If you have a goal or a dream, the most important message is to never stop pushing for it.The BBC reached out to the IOC for comments.
