GB Boxing’s Lauren Mackie and Sacha Hickey win bronze medals at high class World Boxing Cup competition in Brazil
Northampton’s Lauren Mackie and Sacha Hickey from Eltham in South London have won bronze medals at the first World Boxing Cup event of the year, which was held in Foz do Iguacu in Brazil.
Nearly 400 boxers from 50 countries took part in the competition, which featured action at 10 weight classes each for men and women.
In the bantamweight division (W54kg), Mackie enjoyed unanimous victories over Venelina Poptoleva of Bulgaria and Canada’s Scarlett Delgado before succumbing to the eventual gold medallist, Yunman Gan of China on a 4-1 split decision in the semi-final.
Welterweight Hickey (W65kg) defeated Darianne Hernandez of Mexico and Croatia’s Sara Beram before finding herself on the wrong side of an agonisingly close 3;2 split decision against Uzbekistan’s world ranked number three, Navbakhor Khamidova, who also went on to win gold.
Both boxers have earnt ranking points as a result of their performances in Brazil and can expect to rise up the World Boxing Rankings when the next set are published. Hickey is looking to improve on her current ranking of number seven in the welterweight category, while Mackie can expect to break into the top ten in at bantamweight after her showing in Foz do Iguacu.
It added to a strong start to the year for the 20-year-old from Burton Park ABC who won a silver medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia in February.
Lauren said: “The World Boxing Cup competitions are getting bigger and better all the time and are now the biggest events after world and European championships, so to do well at them is a really good sign.
“I was at this event last year when there were seven boxers at my weight, but this time there was 20, so the competition is a lot tougher and that is what helps you to improve.
“I came here off the back of a medal at the Strandja and my preparation was good, and the coaches were really happy with how I boxed in Brazil. They felt I was a little unlucky not to get the nod in the semi-final, but she was a good opponent and went on to win the gold. The girl she beat in the final (Sara Cirkovic of Serbia) is an Olympian and a really good boxer, so it just shows you how high the standard is at these tournaments.”
Mackie is expecting to box at the next World Boxing Cup in China in June and after that her main targets are representing England at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and competing at the European Championships in Sofia in September.
At bantamweight, she is competing with fellow GB Boxing squad mates, Ivy Jane Smith, and two-time Olympian, Charley Davison, for selection although the latter is currently returning from shoulder surgery.
Lauren added: “I feel like I am making good progress right now and my big hope is to go to the Commonwealths and the European championships and win a medal.
“Being part of the GB Boxing squad, you are around the best boxers, so while you are competing with the other girls for selection for tournaments, the quality of the sparring is good, so you really learn from it and are developing all the time.
“This latest tournament has given me another boost. I used to go to these events and look at the draw and think about who I wanted to avoid but now I think I am becoming one of those people that the other boxers don’t want to get drawn against, so things are going well.”
Lauren Mackie and Sacha Hickey were the only two medallists from a group of nine boxers selected by GB Boxing to compete at the World Boxing Cup – Brazil 2026.
Patrick Hewitt (M70kg), Ellis Trowbridge (M55kg), Dimeji Shittu (M80kg) and Chantelle Reid (W70kg) all reached the quarter finals. Will Hewitt (M60kg) and Patris Mughalzai (M65kg) exited at the round of 16, while Teagn Stott (M90kg) was forced to withdraw from the competition with injury after his victory in the first round.