Tammara Thibeault’s quest to become Canada’s first Olympic female boxing champion ended after one fight.

Thibeault’s long winning streak ended with a loss via split decision to Cindy Ngamba of the IOC Refugee Team in the opening bout for both fighters on Wednesday in Paris.

Ngamba now advances to the women’s 75-kg quarterfinals.

Thibeault, whose father Patrick is a former CFL wide receiver, hadn’t lost a fight since being eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She captured world championship gold in 2022 before Canada didn’t attend last year’s world championship in protest against the sport’s governing body.

Canada hasn’t won an Olympic boxing medal since David Defiagbon took bronze in 1996 in Atlanta.

The country’s last boxing gold was Lennox Lewis in 1988 in Seoul.

Ngamba was one of the flag-bearers for the Refugee team at the opening ceremony.

The Cameroon-born boxer, 25, moved to England at age 10.

Per the BBC, Ngamba said she was almost deported at age 20 when she let authorities know she was still in England.

At 20, Ngamba was on the verge of being deported after attending what she thought was a routine signing-on process to let authorities know she was still in the country. She was arrested before being released the next day.

Ngamba can’t return to Cameroon because of her sexuality — homosexuality is a criminal offence in the country.

Great Britain has tried to add her to its team, but citizenship details could not be worked out.

Ngamba became the first-ever refugee boxer to qualify for the Olympics earlier this year.

“The way I see it is that all those setbacks, coming to the UK, my childhood, the paper situation and my boxing, it just makes me stronger mentally and physically,” Ngamba told the BBC.

“I believe I can achieve anything that I put my mind to because I’ve gone through worse with my paper situation.”

Canadian boxing favourite Tammara Thibeault faced a disappointing early exit in the Tokyo Olympics as she was eliminated in the first round of competition. Thibeault, who was considered a strong medal contender in the women’s middleweight division, fell short in her opening bout against Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands.

Thibeault, who hails from Quebec, had been on a promising trajectory leading up to the Olympics. She had won a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games and had secured her spot in Tokyo through a strong performance at the qualifying tournament. However, her Olympic dreams were dashed as she was unable to overcome Fontijn, a seasoned veteran in the sport.

Despite the disappointment of her early exit, Thibeault remains a rising star in Canadian boxing. At just 24 years old, she has already made a name for herself on the international stage and has the potential for future success in the sport. Her determination and resilience in the face of adversity will undoubtedly serve her well as she continues to pursue her boxing career.

Thibeault’s early elimination serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of Olympic competition. In a sport as demanding and competitive as boxing, anything can happen on any given day. While Thibeault may have fallen short in Tokyo, her experience at the Olympics will undoubtedly be a valuable learning opportunity that will only make her stronger in the future.

As Thibeault reflects on her performance in Tokyo and looks ahead to future competitions, Canadian boxing fans can rest assured that they have a talented and determined athlete representing their country on the world stage. Tammara Thibeault may have been eliminated in the first round of competition, but her journey is far from over. With hard work and dedication, she will undoubtedly continue to make her mark in the sport of boxing.