Bronze medallist Italy’s Irma Testa poses on the podium with her medal after the women’s feather (54-57kg) boxing final bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on August 3, 2021. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUIS ROBAYO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist in women’s boxing has come out of the closet
Irma Testa, born in 1997, boxer in the Lightweight category and Bronze Medalist in Tokyo 2020 – the first historic medal won in women’s boxing – as well as being the first Italian boxer to take part in an Olympics (Rio 2016), has publicly come out in an interview with Vanity Fair.
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‹‹ The people who are close to me have known for years, but I think it’s right to tell everyone now. Talking about sexual orientation in the world of sport has a special value, because champions are asked to be perfect. And for many people, homosexuality is still an imperfection. It was the same for me until a few months ago. But that Tokyo medal has become my shield: now that the Irma the athlete is safe, the Irma the woman can be sincere››
Irma Testa
In addition to the support of her family, boxing has also helped her a lot ‹‹ because I have known the world. And I have seen that there are places where no one cares who you like››.