Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-24 17:39:25

Gold medalist Zhang Xiaoping (2nd L) of China, silver medalist Kenny Egan (L) of Ireland and bronze medalists Tony Jeffries (R) of Great Britain and Yerkebulan Shynaliyev of Kazakhstan (Photo Credit: Xinhua/Chen Jie)

(BEIJING, August 24) – The balance of power in amateur boxing seems to have shifted slightly at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Traditional boxing powerhouse Cuba failed to win a gold medal, the first time that it hasn’t won a gold medal in boxing since the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. Cuba boycotted the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.

Prior to Beijing 2008, several champion Cuban boxers pulled out of Cuba’s Olympic squad. Despite having an inexperienced squad, Cuba still managed to win eight medals, including four silver medals.

“They (the Cuban boxing team) came here with no experience, and they’ve won eight medals. No gold, but nobody was expecting more than one or two medals at all for us. Now we have not only eight medals, but also a team with Olympic experience ready to start preparing for the next Olympics,” said Cuba’s boxing coach Pedro Roque.

While Cuba saw its boxing fortunes decline, China not only won its first-ever boxing gold medal, but it won two gold medals on the same day.

Before the Games had begun, light-flyweight Zou Shiming was expected to win his country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport. Despite the intense pressure, Zou boxed well throughout the whole tournament, culminating in today’s win against Mongolia’s Serdamba Purevdorj in the final.

Zhang Xiaoping’s gold medal in the light-heavyweight class came as a surprise. Zhang defeated Ireland’s Kenny Egan in the final 11-7.

Despite Purevdorj’s loss against Zou, Mongolia will be very happy at its performance. Apart from the silver medal in the light-flyweight class, the small Asian country also won a gold medal in the bantamweight class when Badar-Uugan Enkhbat defeated Yankiel Leon Alarcon of Cuba.

The other traditional boxing powerhouse that was conspicuously absent from the top of the podium was the United States, who only managed to win one medal – the bronze medal that Deontay Wilder won in the heavyweight class.

Updated: 2008-08-24 17:26:01

Roberto Cammarelle (blue) fights with Zhang Zhilei. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 24) — Roberto Cammarelle of Italy beat Zhang Zhilei of China in the last bout of the Olympic Boxing tournament, winning gold in the Super-Heavyweight ( 91kg) class.

Zhang was no match for Cammarelle, the Athens 2004 bronze medalist and 2007 world champion. The first three rounds saw Cammarelle outscore Zhang 13-4, and the referee stopped the contest in the fourth round when Zhang fell to the floor after receiving several heavy blows to the head.

Zhang was the bronze medalist at the 2007 World Championships. Zhang advanced to the final after his semifinal opponent, Vyacheslav Glazkov of Ukraine, pulled out due to injury.

Updated: 2008-08-24 17:09:13

Zhang Xiaoping of China celebrates his victory. (Photo Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

(BEIJING, August 24) — China’s Zhang Xiaoping won his country’s second-ever Olympic Boxing gold medal in the light-heavyweight class by defeating Kenny Egan of Ireland 11-7.

The bout between Zhang and Egan was hard-fought and intense from the beginning to the end.

The first round saw the two boxers hustling each other and exchanging punches, but Zhang won the round 2-0.

The Irish boxer fought back in the next two rounds, with the boxers scoring the same amount of points in rounds, 3-3 and 2-2.

Egan was equally aggressive in the last round but Zhang, cheered on by a boisterous home crowd, landed another four stinging point-scoring punches to claim the title.

“I’m really excited,” said Zhang, “before the Olympic Games, I was just a normal athlete but now I am a gold medalist. I was perfect today and did very well psychologically and physically. Throughout the Games, I fought with 100 per cent of my skills. I put myself in a low position and tried my best to fight against my opponent.”

China’s first boxing gold medal was won by Zou Shiming in the light-flyweight class earlier today.

Updated: 2008-08-24 17:04:24

Roberto Cammarelle (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)

Italian Roberto Cammarelle beat Chinese Zhang Zhilei to win the Olympic Boxing Super Heavy Weight gold medal here on Sunday.

Zhang Zhilei (red) and Roberto Cammarelle (blue) fight. (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Roberto Cammarelle (blue) is declared the winner. (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Roberto Cammarelle of Italy celebrates with his trainer. (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)

Updated: 2008-08-24 16:44:14

(BEIJING, August 24) — Kazakhstan’s Bakhyt Sarsekbayev easily defeated Cuba’s Carlos Banteaux Suarez 18-9 in the final of the Boxing competition’s welterweight class.

Banteaux Suarez was Cuba’s last chance of winning a Boxing gold medal at Beijing 2008.

Banteaux Suarez surprisingly started the fight in a very defensive frame of mind, bunching both fists in front of his face and giving Sarsekbayev no chance to score any points. The score at the end of the first round was 1-0 in the Cuban boxer’s favor.

Sarsekbayev fought at the start of the second round and scored several points, which encouraged Banteaux Suarez to open up and also attack. However, Sarsekbayev was too quick for the Cuban and easily picked up seven points, while Banteaux Suarez didn’t score any.

“I was down in the second round so I changed my tactics and then I messed up. I lost the bout in the second round,” said Banteaux Suarez after the fight.

The Kazakhstani boxer dominated the final two rounds against the hapless Cuban boxer, finishing with twice as many points.

Updated: 2008-08-24 16:43:08

(BEIJING, August 24) — Roberto Cammarelle of Italy beat Zhang Zhilei of China in the last bout of the Beijing 2008 Boxing tournament to win the gold in the Men’s Super-Heavyweight ( 91kg) class.

Updated: 2008-08-24 16:36:21

Zhang Xiaoping holds up his gold medal. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

China’s Zhang Xiaoping beat Ireland’s Kenny Egan to win the Olympic Lightweight (81kg) gold medal at the Olympic Games on Sunday.

Zhang Xiaoping (blue) competes against Kenny Egan of Ireland. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Kenny Egan (red) and Zhang Xiaoping fight. (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Zhang Xiaoping (R) is declared winner. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Zhang Xiaoping celebrates. (Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty Images)