The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic GamesAugust 8-24 2008
(BEIJING, August 23) -- The world welcomed five new Olympic boxing champions on the penultimate day of the Beijing Olympics. However, traditional boxing powerhouse Cuba was not among the gold medals, with its two boxers being forced to settle for silver.
Thailand's Somjit Jongjohor won the first gold medal by defeating Andris Laffita Hernandez of Cuba in the final of the flyweight class. The result is a great improvement for the 33-year-old Jongjohor, who finished ninth at Athens 2004.
"For the past 12 years, I've been through many obstacles. If I didn't fight through those challenges, then I'd just be a normal boxer," said Jongjohor after winning the gold medal.
The second gold medal of the night was won by Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine. Lomachenko totally outclassed his opponent, Khedafi Djelkhir of France, in the final of the featherweight class, with the referee being forced to stop the contest.
Probably the most heartwarming bout of the night was the final of the light-welterweight class between Felix Diaz of the Dominican Republic and Manus Boonjumnong of Thailand.
Diaz won his country's first gold medal in Boxing by defeating Athens 2004 gold medalist Boonjumnong.
"I want to dedicate my victory to my parents, my two little kids and to all the people in the Dominican Republic who have been watching my bouts at three o'clock in the morning every day just to support me," said an exited Diaz after winning the gold medal.
The next final was a close bout between middleweight boxers James DeGale of Britain and Emilio Correa Bayeaux of Cuba. DeGale won the fight 16-14 in slightly controversial circumstances after the British boxer received a penalty in the third round.
Correa Bayeaux was attempting to replicate the gold medal that his father won at Munich 1972.
"This is a huge honor for my family because my father won a gold medal in 1972 and now I have won a silver medal. I would love to win a gold medal of course, but I think I will have the opportunity in the next Olympics," said the 22-year-old Cuban.
The final bout of the day was a low-scoring affair between world heavyweight champion Clemente Russo of Italy and Rakhim Chakhkiev of Russia. Chakhkiev won the bout 4-2. The bout disappointed fans of action-packed fights, but Russo and Chakhkiev are both highly technical boxers so the low score did not come as a surprise.
"It was a very even match and my tactic was to wait and to let him attack," said a disappointed Russo after winning the silver medal.
