Backflipping Senior secures rare Aussie boxing medal

Australian Charlie Senior will leave Paris with at least bronze after winning his quarter-final. (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)

Charlie Senior has promised the "fight of the tournament" and synchronised backflips as he chases more Australian boxing history in Paris.

Already assured the country's first medal in the 57kg category, the Perth 22-year-old has his sights on Australia's first Olympic gold after upsetting Filipino Carlo Paalam in a comeback, 3-2 split decision at North Paris Arena on Saturday.

In Olympic boxing the beaten semi-finalists are awarded bronze medals, meaning Senior is already guaranteed the county's seventh piece of Games hardware in the sport.

But, after Harry Garside broke a 33-year medal drought to win bronze in Tokyo, Senior wants to be the first to stand on the top step once competition moves to Roland Garros next week.

"This feels amazing. It’s a dream come true," he said.

"I thought I'd won. I knew the rounds were close and going into the third I knew it was all down to that round.

"But finishing the third I knew I could box cleaner, get out of the way and score the points. 

"It’s not about hitting as hard as you can, it’s about boxing, getting it done and winning the fight."

He'll face Abdumalik Khalokov on Thursday in a rematch of last year's world championship semi-final won by the Uzbek in Tashkent.

Those Uzbekistan fans were in Senior's corner though on Saturday, the Australian endearing them a year earlier when the two fighters performed post-fight backflips and embraced. 

"I heard them chanting; that was unbelievable," he said of his bonus fan base.

"It’s a rematch. It will be the fight of the tournament."

Australian boxing captain Caitlin Parker has a quarter-final fight on Sunday, while super heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana was beaten by the defending champion in his quarter-final on Friday.

The other nine Australian boxers - including Garside - who qualified by winning their division at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, were all beaten in their opening fights.

Senior rebounded after three of the five judges handed his opponent a tight first round, rolling the dice and pressing forward against his smaller opponent.

It was enough to swing one judge, Irish official Ben McGarrigle splitting the rounds to create a scenario where his third-round vote would decide the victor.

backflip
Australian boxer Charlie Senior celebrated his win with a backflip

Senior's teammates celebrated wildly when he was one of three judges to give the third round to the Australian.

With a medal secured, Senior is in a unique position but says he's not satisfied.

"Being humble is my main priority here. You go in, get the job done, enjoy it for the night, then go back and reset and refocus," he said. 

"You don’t come here for a bronze and, if you do, that’s why you don’t win the bronze.

"You come here for the final result, that gold medal, and you aim for that. I am happy with a bronze, but I’m not leaving with it."

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