David Nyika is guaranteed to become New Zealand's first Olympic boxing medallist for 29 years after a commanding quarter-final victory. Rest assured, though, Nyika won't be satisfied with bronze.
Nyika, the fourth-seeded Olympic heavyweight, registered his second unanimous victory of the Tokyo Games on Friday. After easing past Youness Baalla in the round of 16 – a bout marred by an attempted bite from the 22-year-old Moroccan - Nyika delivered another dominant display to defeat Belarus' Uladzislau Smiahlikau.
In advancing to the semifinals, Nyika is guaranteed to match revered Kiwi-Samoan heavyweight David Tua, who claimed bronze in Barcelona in 1992 as there is no fight off for bronze.
Nyika will, therefore, collect New Zealand's fourth Olympic boxing medal to follow Tua, Ted Morgan's gold in Amsterdam in 1928 and Kevin Barry's controversial silver in Los Angeles in 1984.