Kennetcook boxer lands spot on Canada's Olympic team bound for Tokyo

After months of uncertainty, boxer Wyatt Sanford of Kennetcook, N.S., found out this week he will be in the Olympics in Japan this summer.

COVID-19 forced his regional qualifying tournament scheduled for Argentina in April to be cancelled.

Instead, the International Olympic Committee selected the boxers who would be taking part in the Olympic boxing tournament.

Sanford got the news from his coach after a workout with the Canadian boxing team in Montreal on Monday.

"He stood up and he told me that I officially qualified for the Olympics," said Sanford, who comes from a family of boxers.

"As soon as I could I got on the phone and called my family and I got even more excited. And now my phone is blowing up with people calling me who are just as excited as I am."

The Olympic nod comes after several years of hard work.

Sanford said he's always dreamed of representing Canada at the Olympics.

While he is stoked to finally get the good news, he knows there is still lots of work ahead.

"We've worked hard to get to the point we're at now but we also know we have to kick it up another notch," he said.

Sanford, who competes in the 69-kilogram class,hasn't received any timetable for his final training other than the Canadian team will be holding a camp in early July.

Olympic boxing is scheduled to start July 24.

Custio Clayton is the last Nova Scotian to compete in Olympic boxing for Canada. He competed in London in 2012.