As we head into the medal rounds of the boxing tournaments on the Paris Olympics, listed here are the most important storylines and speaking factors from the quarter finals.
Khelif overcomes controversy to safe victory
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, embroiled in controversy over the previous few days, received a unanimous resolution over Hungary’s Luca Hamori on Saturday. Khelif fought competitively and obtained substantial help from Algerians and different attendees. The scandal, a results of misinformation being unfold about her sexuality, underscores the affect of social media and the way shortly it might form public perceptions. After the win, Khelif was overcome with emotion, responding with tears within the ring.
Main upset at girls’s welterweight
Regardless of a first-round bye, Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng upset Turkey’s 2020 Olympic gold medalist, Busenaz Surmeneli. Surmeneli struggled with Suwannapheng’s motion, elevating questions on her potential skilled profession. Suwannapheng will face Khelif within the semi-finals, whereas Surmeneli will go away with no medal.
Turkish flyweight advances
Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu seems to be a lock for gold as she advances to the semifinals after defeating Finland’s Pihla Kaivo-oja. Cakiroglu will face the Philippines’ Aira Villegas within the medal spherical.
Jalolov advances regardless of struggles
Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov beat Australia’s Teremoana Junior to achieve the medal rounds, though his victory was contentious. Junior appeared to win the primary two rounds, however the judges scored the primary for Jalolov. Regardless of the win, Jalolov confirmed vulnerability in opposition to a equally sized opponent. Jalolov will face Germany’s Nelvie Tiafack within the semi-finals.
France’s Bennama in medal competition
French flyweight Bilal Bennama received a slender 3-2 resolution in opposition to Cuba’s Alejandro Claro. Bennama will face Junior Alcantara of the Dominican Republic within the semifinals. Cape Verde’s Daniel Varela de Pina will meet Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov, a 2016 Olympic gold medalist, on the opposite facet of the bracket.
U.S. girls’s staff goes residence with no medals
Finland’s Kaivo-oja defeated Workforce USA’s Jennifer Lozano within the girls’s flyweight division in her first bout. Lozano by no means settled into the combat, succumbing to Kaivo-oja’s tempo and quantity. Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova narrowly received in opposition to Morelle McCane. A sluggish begin from McCane, who misplaced the primary spherical, value her the combat. Alyssa Mendoza misplaced a detailed resolution to Brazil’s Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu, unable to recuperate after dropping the primary spherical 3-2. All 4 members of the U.S. girls’s boxing staff have been eradicated earlier than the medal rounds, marking a disappointing end result for USA Boxing, particularly given the odd qualification course of.
The lone American medalist: Omari Jones
With the elimination of the U.S. girls, the nation’s boxing hopes now relaxation on welterweight Omari Jones. Featherweight Jahmal Harvey was eradicated by Kyrgyzstan’s Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu. A clear punch landed by Harvey floored Seiitbek Uulu, just for it to be incorrectly dominated a slip, setting the tone for the combat and making a scorecard deficit Harvey couldn’t overcome. The harshest actuality is that it felt as if the referee, by not calling a knockdown, determined the end result as a lot because the fighters. Seiitbek Uulu will subsequent combat Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez, who defeated Japan’s Shudai Harada to achieve the medal rounds. Jones, who has received each of his matches 5-0, secured at the very least a bronze medal together with his victory over Bulgaria’s Rami Mofid Kiwan. He’ll face Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev within the semi-finals. He would be the solely American to medal in boxing at this Olympic Video games.
Just one for Nice Britain, too
Welterweight Lewis Richardson of Nice Britain ended the Cinderella story of Jordan’s Zeyad Ishaish. Richardson, the one member of Nice Britain to medal, will face Mexico’s Marco Verde, who ended the medal hopes of India’s Nishant Dev. Dev was profitable the primary spherical till a standing-eight was known as after Verde landed a stable punch. Verde is tough to name relating to his Olympic fortunes, however as a professional, he’s certain to be signed by a serious promoter after he bit down within the third and remaining spherical to swing the combat in his favor (shades of so many Mexican legends). Verde will now medal, on the very least. The winner would face Workforce USA’s Jones or Uzbekistan’s Muydinkhujaev, who will, as talked about, face one another within the semis.
The good Kellie Harrington
We all know the title Katie Taylor, however the subsequent period of Irish boxing may belong to Kellie Harrington. Harrington defeated Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira within the semi-finals match to advance to the gold medal spherical at girls’s light-weight. It was a rematch of the fighters’ 2020 Olympics gold medal match and was an all-time traditional that got here all the way down to the ultimate bell. It merely simply lacked the drama of being for all of it, because it ought to’ve been. Harrington, who would be the lone Irish Olympian in boxing to medal, is aiming to develop into a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Harrington will face China’s Wenlu Yang within the finals and be an enormous favourite. Harrington and Ferreira had been seen as the 2 finest fighters within the bracket however fought within the semis.
Cuba’s decline
Whereas Uzbekistan has excelled with hopes of matching or eclipsing their three gold medals from the 2016 Olympic Video games, Cuba will go away with solely two medals this yr. Middleweight Arlen Lopez, a two-time gold medalist, and light-weight Erislandy Alvarez are the one remaining Cuban boxers nonetheless competing in Paris. Alvarez will face Georgia’s Lasha Guruli within the final 4. Lopez is perceived to be in a detailed combat with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak, who has an offense-first type, just like that of former Ukrainian boxer Ievgen Khytrov.
Different matchups
Within the light-weight division, Canada’s Wyatt Sanford will face France’s Sofiane Oumiha to find out who will compete in opposition to Cuba’s Alvarez. Oumiha, a three-time Olympian, will combat at residence in entrance of a energetic crowd. Within the heavyweight division, Spain’s Enmanuel Reyes will face Azerbaijan’s Loren Alfonso. Each are former Cuban fighters who defected to signify different nations. They may face Uzbekistan’s Lazizbek Mullojonov within the gold medal match.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and writer of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (accessible on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
