Boxing: Two Gold for China
From the Associated Press:
Zou Shiming has won China's first gold medal in boxing after Mongolian light flyweight Serdamba Purevdorj retired early in the second round of their title bout with an apparent shoulder injury.
The victory earned the host nation its 50th gold medal of the games.
About two hours later, light heavyweight Zhang Xiaoping won the country's second boxing gold medal, beating Kenny Egan of Ireland, 11-7.
Zou had a 1-0 lead after a tentative first round Sunday, but the Mongolian coach literally threw in the towel just 19 seconds into the second. Purevdorj had been fighting with his right arm handing limply at his side, though he was able to throw some punches with it.
Zou's victory fulfills four years of high expectations for the two-time world champion, whose bronze medal in Athens was China's first in a sport long banned by Mao.
The Chinese, however, hit a roadblock in the final bout of the Games, thanks to an Italian policeman with no intentions of turning pro.
Super heavyweight Roberto Cammarelle stopped Zhang Zhilei in the fourth round of the final bout of the Olympics on Sunday. Cammarelle was way ahead on points after battering his Chinese opponent, who had won two routs and a walkover to get to the gold medal bout.
Zhang was the only one of three Chinese finalists to lose, and he was clearly overmatched by the 28-year-old veteran and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist. Cammarelle battered Zhang's head so effectively in the last round that the referee had no choice but to stop the bout.
"I wouldn't say it was easy, but in the end the bout turned out the way I expected," said Cammarelle, the 2007 world champion. "He is a dangerous giant, but I badly wanted to win."
What he doesn't want badly is a pro career. Cammarelle said he will remain an amateur, fighting for his club in Italy, and defend his world title next year.
"I'll keep on going in the Olympic, or amateur level, and compete for my police club and try to defend my world championship in Milan, my home city," Cammarelle said. "Then perhaps I will retire because I will be at that age."
In other bouts Sunday: Bakhyt Sarsekbayev of Kazakhstan won the welterweight gold medal, upsetting Cuban favorite Carlos Banteaux 18-9. Sarsekbayev had little international success before the Olympics, but he was quicker and more accurate than Banteaux on Sunday. Sarsekbayev controlled the bout to win Kazakhstan's fifth boxing gold.
Banteaux's loss means amateur powerhouse Cuba failed to win a boxing gold medal in a games it didn't boycott for the first time since 1968. After traveling to Beijing without any of its five defending gold medalists, the young Cuban team will win four silver medals and four bronze medals.
Mongolia came to Beijing with no gold medals in a less-than-illustrious Olympic career.Then Tuvshinbayar Naidan won the first medal in judo last week. On Sunday, bantamweight boxer Badar-Uugan Enkhbat beat Cuba's Yankiel Leon 16-5 for the second.With hundreds of his countrymen chanting "MON-GO-LI-A," and cheering his every punch, Enkhbat dominated the fight. At the end, he immediately saluted the section of fans lending him support, then got down on his knees in prayer.
By Tracee Hamilton | August 24, 2008; 6:48 AM ET | Category: Boxing
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