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Olympic Boxing Recaps: 1 August (Day 13)

Light Flyweight/48 kg.

Daniel Petrov BOJILOV (BUL), reining world champion, became the first boxer to advance to a gold medal bout with a 17-8 victory over Oleg KIRYUKHIN. BOJILOV started the scoring with three points in the opening round, shutting out KIRYUKHIN 3-0. In the second round, KIRYUKHIN came back and tied the score with three rights of his own. BOJILOV opened the fight and outscored him 8-2 over the last 1:30 to go ahead 11-5. In the third round both boxers scored three points apiece, but it was too late for KIRYUKHIN, who will receive a bronze medal.

The Bulgarian will meet Masueto VELASCO (PHI) in the gold medal round. VELASCO defeated Rafael LOZANO (ESP) 22-10. VELASCO will be the second family member to receive an Olympic medal in boxing. His older brother, Roel VEALSCO, was a light flyweight bronze medalist at the 1992 Olympic Games.

BOJILOV (BUL): "It was a really difficult bout. The first round was so-so but in the second and third rounds I beat him up and was victorious.


Bantamweight/54 kg.

The first bout of the bantamweight semifinals featured Pan-American gold medalist Arnaldo MESA up against reigning world champion Raimkul MALAKHBEKOV of Russia. The bout was very even, ending in a 14-14 tie. After the tiebreaker, MESA was victorious and will advance on to the gold medal round. The first round was even at two a piece. MESA outscored MALAKBEKOV 10-7 in the second and then MALAKHBEKOV outscored MESA in the third 5-2. The final score was 79-73.

MESA will meet Istvan KOVACS (HUN), a bronze medalist from the 1992 Olympic Games. KOVACS beat Vichairachanon KHADPO (THA) 12-7. Both MALAHBEKOV and KHADPO will receive bronze medals.

KOVACS (HUN): "I had to pick up the pace because I was in trouble. I had to make it up. By all means, I want to win the gold.


Lightweight/60 kg.

World champion Leonard DOROFTEI (ROM) was defeated tonight in an upset by Hocine SOLTANI (ALG), 9-6. SOLTANI will take on Tontcho TONTCHEV (BUL) in the gold medal bout on Saturday, 3 August. Tontcho TONTCHEV defeated Terrance CAUTHEN (USA) 15-12.

CAUTHEN (USA): "If he would have beat me, I would have taken it like a man and said he was a better fighter than me tonight. He caught me, but I caught him more. Tonight I didn't get any scored for the hook. We were both throwing hooks, but I was catching him. I still wasn't getting any point for them."


Welterweight/67 kg.

Juan HERNANDEZ (CUB), silver medalist at the 1992 Olympic Games, will attempt to capture the gold medal this time. HERNANDEZ defeated Marian SIMION of Romania 20-7. The first round was close, ending in a score of 6-4. But HERNANDEZ ran away with it in the second as he outscored SIMION 11-1. HERNANDEZ won the third round also, 3-2.

HERNANDEZ will take on Russia's Oleg SAITOV who, in an upset, defeated Pan-American silver medalist Daniel SANTOS from Puerto Rico, 13-11.

SAITOV (RUS): "My inner voice was telling me that I had to score more points. That I had to win. At the end I just took all of my power and tried to score more."


Middleweight/75 kg.

The triple gold medalist (Pan-American, 1992 Olympic Games and 1995 World Championships) Cuba's Ariel HERNANDEZ will try to add a fourth gold medal to his collection. HERNANDEZ defeated USA's Roshii WELLS 17-8. HERNANDEZ will face Malik BEYLEROGLU (TUR) who defeated Algerian Mohamed BAHARI in a tiebreaker 52-44.

HERNANDEZ (CUB): "I fought the way to win and I did it."


Heavyweight/91 kg.

The two heavyweights that will meet each other in the gold medal round are Canadian David DEFIAGBON, who defeated USA's Nate JONES 16-10, and Cuba's Felix SAVON who won on a walkover over Germany's Luan KRASNIQI.

So far in the medal count Cuba leads the way with seven medals. USA is in second with six, and Russia, Germany, and Kajakstan are in third, all with four medals apiece.


This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


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