If anyone seemed like a shoo-in for Canada’s women’s Olympic boxing team, it was Mary Spencer. Considered the best fighter in her 75-kg weight class, she is a three-time world champion with more than 115 victories. But after a shocking upset to Sweden’s Anna Laurell at the Olympic qualifying tournament in May, where Spencer was the top seed, her London dreams seemed in jeopardy. But she was awarded a wild-card berth based on her pedigree, and will enter the Games as one of Canada’s best prospects for a medal. The 27-year-old is the rare fighter who taunts opponents in the ring and delivers. She’s already bounced back from her poor outing at the qualifiers with two wins—enough to give the rest of the field in London nightmares.
This article originally appeared in Sportsnet magazine.