The 20-year-old from Chełm in eastern Poland was in a buoyant and confident mood after winning her semi-final fight on Wednesday evening.
“There's no point talking about the silver medal. I'm going for the gold,” she said right after the fight.
The Pole has garnered numerous admirers for her bold approach, which involves lowering her hands, provoking her opponents, and evading them with clever footwork.
Although she lost the first round on Wednesday, she dominated the next two.
“I was a bit surprised that I lost this round, but it didn't change anything in my style. I continued to box a bit with counterattacks; maybe I hit a bit more. She [Petecio] was definitely the strongest opponent I've faced here,” Szeremeta said after the bout.
“I'm not afraid of anyone; I don't feel respect. I go out and do my thing. I can't wait for the final. Another win gives me confidence, and I don't feel any stress. I approach this like a regular tournament. I don't think it's the Games. I box in a relaxed way,” she added.
The boxing competition was moved to Roland Garros for the semi-finals, the venue for the French Open and Olympic tennis events. The centre court was transformed into a ring surrounded by stands, which were mostly filled with Polish fans on Wednesday.
“I went out and had an even better time than in the previous arena. Lots of fans, great atmosphere, lights, music. That carried me,” Szeremeta said.
Final opponent
Her opponent in the final, which takes place on Saturday, will be Lin Yu-ting from Taiwan, who confidently won on points against Turkey's Esra Yıldız Kahraman in the semis.
Yu-ting is a 28-year-old two-time world champion (2018 and 2022). In 2023, she was disqualified during the world championships because she “did not pass gender tests,” according to the International Boxing Federation (IBA).
The young boxer (backed by the Confederation party) ran for a seat on a Polish regional assembly earlier this year.
Regardless of the outcome on Saturday, Szeremeta will win Poland’s first boxing medal since Wojciech Bartnik, 32 years ago.
