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Sad news broke on Tuesday
afternoon, August 29, that World
Boxing Federation (WBF) Womens
World Featherweight Champion
Angelique Duchemin from France
had passed away earlier in the
day. She was only twenty-six
years old.
Preparing for an upcoming fight,
Duchemin suffered a cardiac
arrest during a training session
on Monday evening, and was
rushed to hospital in Perpignan.
Unfortunately it was too late,
and her life could not be saved.
There will be an investigation
to clarify the reason for her
untimely death.
Duchemin was born on June 26,
1991 and started boxing at seven
years old. She turned
professional in December of
2012, and quickly showed her
great potential when she won the
French national Super
Featherweight title only a year
later.
After two defenses of the French
title, she became European Super
Featherweight Champion in
December of 2015, a title she
defended last April before
moving down to Featherweight the
following month to win the WBF
World title.
On that May evening in Royan,
Duchemin was on top of her game
as she scored a unanimous
decision over compatriot Ericka
Rousseau, taking her unblemished
record to 14-0 (3). In the ring
she dedicated the victory to her
late father, a former boxer, who
passed away from a heart-attack
in 2013, saying:
Today
I am on top, and hard work pays
off. I am very happy, and if my
father had been here he would
have been very proud.
In the prime of her life, and
career, it makes little sense
that Duchemin followed her
father so early. It is only a
small consolation that she died
doing what she loved, and had
dedicated most of her life to.
In only fourteen professional
fights Duchemin accomplished
more than most world-class
boxers accomplish in a much
longer career. Undefeated
French, European and World
Champion!
With potentially a decade more
at the highest level, there is
no telling how much more she
could have achieved.
I
am truly saddened at the passing
of a champion inside and outside
the ring, said World Boxing
Federation (WBF) President
Howard Goldberg.
She
was an intelligent, talented and
down-to-earth young lady. An
outstanding fighter, and a
humble world champion.
As
her name translates, she was a
true angel. She will be sorely
missed by all who were lucky
enough to know her.
Rest
In Peace, Angelique Duchemin,
Champion!
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