Americas’ boxers struggle in Paris

BOXERS FROM the Americas had one of their poorest showings at the Olympic Games, when they ended up with only nine medals from the total of 52 that were competed for at the recently concluded Paris Olympic Games. Two hundred and forty-nine boxers, 125 male and 124 female, from 67 National Olympic Committees and the Refugee Olympic Team, comprising boxers who have fled their home countries, participated.

Cuba, one of the most successful countries in Olympic boxing history, were the most successful Americas team, with two medals, one gold and one bronze.

Their lightweight boxer Erislandy Alvarez won their gold medal and middleweight Arlen Lopez, the bronze.

The United States, usually one of the top medal contenders in boxing at the Olympics, won only one medal this year, a bronze, which came from welterweight boxer Omari Jones.

The other countries from the Americas who won medals were: Mexico and Panama, one silver each, the Dominican Republic two bronze, and Brazil, Canada and Mexico, one bronze each.

Uzbekistan with five gold medals and China three gold and two silver were the top boxing nations this year.

Uzbekistan, who only won one medal, a gold, at the last Olympics in Tokyo, had their best performance ever, and it was credited to the leadership of head-coach Tulkin Kilichev, who ironically suffered cardiac arrest during the tournament but survived after receiving emergency treatment.

The star of the Uzbekistan team was superheavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov who won in Tokyo and successfully defended his title with an impressive victory over Spaniard Ayoub Ghadfa. Uzbekistan also won gold in the men’s flyweight, featherweight, welterweight and heavyweight divisions.

Cuba’s gold medal-winning lightweight, Alvarez, was participating in his first Olympic Games. China’s gold medals came from their female boxers, flyweight Wu Yu, bantamweight Chang Yuan, and middleweight Li Qian.

The boxing tournament was also dogged by a gender issue involving two female boxers, featherweight Lin Yu-ting from Taipei and welterweight Imane Khelif from Algeria. Despite the controversy surrounding them, they were allowed to compete by the International Olympic Committee and both won gold medals.