Amir Khan and young Turk Atagun Yalcinkaya lost to Cuban opposition in their respective final bouts as both attempted to become the youngest boxer to win Olympic gold since Floyd Patterson claimed the middleweight title in 1952 in Helsinki.
Cuba won three of the six medals on offer to go with the two it won Saturday, while Andre Ward took the light heavyweight title to give the United States its first boxing gold since Atlanta 1996.
The 17-year-old Yalcinkaya, who was born on Dec. 14, 1986, making him six days younger than Britain’s Khan, lost to Cuba’s Yan Bhartelemy 21-16 on a points decision in the light flyweight final.
“I am sorry I have lost, but this will be a good experience for me,” said Yalcinkaya, who becomes the youngest medalist in Turkey’s sporting history. Triple European champion Sergey Kazakov of Russia, who lost to Yalcinkaya in the semifinal, and Zou Shiming of China, loser to Bhartelemy, take the bronze medal.
Defending champion Mario Kindelan, who hasn’t been beaten since he lifted the Pan American Games title in 1999, used all his experience to overcome the talented Khan in their lightweight final, winning 30- 22 on points.
Khan said afterwards that Kindelan said he would be a future Olympic gold winner.
“He told me I should stay amateur and I would be the next Olympic and world champion,” said Khan. “I am only 17 and I want to stay amateur until I am 22 so I can gain more experience and grow stronger.”
Kazakhstan’s Serik Yeleuov, loser to Khan in the semifinal, and Murat Khrachev of Russia, loser to Kindelan, take the bronze medal.
Ward was the toast of the United States with his victory in the light heavyweight category, defeating Magomed Aripgadjiev of Bulgaria by 20 points to 13 thanks to two strong final rounds. Utkirbek Haydarov of Uzbekistan, loser to Ward in the semifinal, and Ahmed Ismail of Egypt, loser to Aripgadjiev, take the bronze medal.
Guillermo Rigondeaux claimed Cuba’s third gold of the day when he successively defended his Sydney 2000 title in the bantamweight boxing category, defeating Thailand’s Worapoj Petchkoom 22-13 on points in the final.
Uzbekistan’s Bahodirjon Sooltonov, loser to Rigondeaux in the semifinal, and world champion Aghasi Mammadov of Azerbaijan, loser to Petchkoom, take the bronze medal.
Kazakhstan’s Bakhtiyar Artayev won the welterweight gold defeating Cuba’s Lorenzo Aragon 36-26 on points. Russia’s double Olympic champion Oleg Saitov, loser to Artayev in the semifinal, and Kim Jung Joo of South Korea, loser to Aragon, take the bronze medal.
Russia’s Alexander Povetkin won his gold medal in the super heavyweight boxing category without even having to throw a punch as he was given a walkover when Mohamed Aly of Egypt was unable to fight due to injury.
Cuba’s Michel Nunez, loser to Ali in the semifinal, and Roberto Cammarelle of Italy, loser to Povetkin, take the bronze medal.
