Saint Lucia’s groundbreaking performance at the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships concluded on Tuesday when 19-year-old sensation John Didier faced elimination in the Round of 16. The Vieux Fort native’s remarkable journey ended against Spain’s second-seeded Gazimagomedovich Jalidov, an Olympic quarterfinalist from Paris 2024, in their light-heavyweight clash (75-80kg) at Dubai Tennis Centre.
Despite entering as the clear underdog against the Russian-born Spanish veteran, Didier demonstrated exceptional defensive technique during the opening round. The 30-year-old Jalidov unleashed aggressive combinations, but the Saint Lucian prospect effectively neutralized much of the early offense. After three minutes of action, Didier trailed narrowly on the scorecards, with four judges scoring 10-9 and one judge awarding a 10-8 margin to the Spaniard.
The contest shifted dramatically in the second round as fatigue visibly affected the Caribbean boxer. Jalidov capitalized with precision punching, forcing two standing eight-counts against Didier within the final 36 seconds of the round. The referee ultimately stopped the bout following the second mandatory count, preventing further punishment.
Didier’s campaign marked a historic achievement for Saint Lucian boxing, as he became the nation’s first representative to advance beyond the initial round in world championship competition. His performance over the weekend shattered previous national records and established new benchmarks for Caribbean boxing.
In related tournament action, fellow 19-year-old Saint Lucian Kyle Marcel competed in the middleweight division (75kg), suffering a unanimous decision defeat to Sri Lanka’s Mohommed Usaith. Despite winning the first round on a split decision, Marcel faded in subsequent rounds, finalizing scores of 30-26 on two cards and 29-27 on three cards.