Linn Sandström: The Hunt For Flyweight Gold Begins
The Linn Sandström story has always been one of perseverance and an incredible work ethic. A new chapter has begun, and one that Sandström hopes will end with a world flyweight title.
Many would have walked away from the sport after the underwhelming start Sandström made to her professional boxing life. There was just one solitary win in her first four fights. But life has changed so much since the latter part of 2021, and a defeat to Natalie Hills. Sandström has only lost twice since that loss to Hills nearly four years ago, and both of those defeats came in world title fights. A points defeat to the then WBA world super-flyweight champion Clara Lescurat last year snapped her eight-fight unbeaten streak. A third-round stoppage defeat to the impressive Jasmine Artiga in August, in a second attempt at the WBA bauble, signalled a new beginning for the Brazilian-born Sandström.
A move down to flyweight followed the Artiga setback, and Sandström made a winning start at her new weight on Friday night when she outpointed the Thailand fighter Kanokwan Wirunpat over ten rounds.
The seemingly always active Sandström will make another quick turnaround when she returns to action next month to challenge for the WBA Gold flyweight title. A fight that will undoubtedly push her a little closer to another world title opportunity, this time at flyweight. A division that looks better suited to her after finding the strength and power of Artiga a little too much for her last month in Florida.
Linn Sandström would have been written off again by many after that somewhat one-sided defeat to Artiga, but she has been fighting negativity for much of her boxing life. At 33, Sandström has got straight back on the horse to go again. It’s a new goal at a new weight. Sandström has been counted out so many times, but that resilience has served her so well since she turned professional with little expectation in 2020. At flyweight, Sandström might just get her reward.
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