As quarter-finals got underway in the Armeec Arena, the AIBA youth world champion and 2011 junior world champion Alexiusson, who came into the lightweight division as the gold medal favourite, was put to the sword by her US counterpart who ended her hopes of taking home the title.

Gonzalez, winner of the gold medal in the featherweight division at the AIBA Women's Junior World Championships in Albena, Bulgaria, last September went to work with quick attacks on Alexiusson, successfully putting the Swede on the back foot and causing her to struggle to adapt to the lightening pace of the 18-year-old.

The win secures at least a bronze medal for the young American and moves Alexiusson into tomorrow's "box-off", which gives her a second chance to qualify for the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

Day eight also proved a successful one for the Italian woman as current AIBA junior world flyweight champion Irma Testa and European Union Women's Youth Championships silver medallist Monica Floridia made their way into the semi-finals.

Testa, who has lost just two bouts since picking up the gloves in 2011, used her significant reach to fend off competition from Russia's experienced European junior champion Ekaterina Paltceva and book her semi-final spot in the flyweight division.

Paltceva was Russia's last hope for a female gold medallist at the Championships and will now have to fight through tomorrow's "box-off" to ensure a place in Nanjing.

Monica Floridia overcame Ireland's defending AIBA junior world champion Ciara Ginty in the women's lightweight division to progress to the semi-finals in Sofia ©Getty Images



Floridia on the other hand, managed to get the better of Ireland's defending AIBA junior world lightweight champion Ciara Ginty, who was named AIBA Female Junior Boxer of the Year in 2013.

The young Italian got off to a quick start in the lightweight bout and did enough to hang on in the final minutes to win by split decision come the final bell.

Armenian flyweight boxer Anush Grigoryan continued to impress in just her second international competition, following a silver medal at the AIBA Women's Junior World Championships last year, with a shock victory over Britain's European junior champion Crystal Barker.

On the men's side, Japan's Goh Hosaka caused one of the biggest upsets of the day as the Asian Youth Continental Championships bronze medallist ended Cuba's current AIBA junior world champion Alayn Limonta's chances of retaining his title with a split decision victory in the lightweight division.

In the men's flyweight class, America's gold medal favourite Shakur Stevenson lived up to expectations with victory over Brazil's lone survivor, South American Youth Games winner Carlos Rafael Santos Silva.

Armenian flyweight boxer Anush Grigoryan continued her fine form with victory over Britain's Crystal Barker in the quarter-finals of the AIBA Youth Boxing World Championships
©Getty Images



Russia's youth middleweight national champion Dmitriy Nesterov ruined Australia's Satali Tevi Fuimaono otherwise faultless international record as he became the second Russian male to progress to the semi-finals, after compatriot Bibert Tumenov in the men's light welterweight.

In total, 26 nations have secured at least a bronze medal in at this year's AIBA Youth World Championships with Kazakhstan leading the way with five.

Just one behind the Kazak's are America, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, who have each ensured at least four medals in Sofia.

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