By Aadi Nair
PARIS (Reuters) -Uzbekistan’s dominance at the Paris Games boxing tournament was completed on Saturday as Bakhodir Jalolov and Abdumalik Khalokov won gold to further improve the country’s best-ever performance at the Olympics.
Khalokov and Jalolov added to compatriots Hasanboy Dusmatov, Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev and Lazizbek Mullojonov’s wins from earlier in the week, meaning Uzbek boxers have won gold in five out of the seven men’s categories at these Games.
Uzbekistan have won a total of eight gold medals across all sports at the Paris Games, doubling their previous record haul of four in Rio.
Khalokov began by beating Kyrgyzstan’s Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu by unanimous decision in the men’s featherweight final. Australian Charlie Senior and Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez took bronze after their semi-final defeats.
Asian Games and world champion Khalokov, 24, was absolutely dominant in his bout, ducking and weaving his way across the ring as Seitbek Uulu’s punches found only air, while countering with precise and powerful shots to take a 5-0 win.
In Saturday’s closing bout, defending Olympic, Asian Games and world champion Jalolov encountered little resistance from Spain’s Ayoub Ghadfa as he clinched his second gold medal.
The towering Uzbek did well to keep out of his shorter opponent’s range and pick off shots whenever an opening presented itself to win by unanimous decision.
“This is history for Uzbekistan, and I’m emotional because becoming a two-time Olympic champion was my dream,” Jalolov said. “Now, I feel very happy, and I will continue my career as a professional boxer.”
CHINA WINS THIRD GOLD
Uzbekistan’s success in the men’s field has been mirrored by China in the women’s tournament, with Li Qian beating Panama’s Atheyna Bylon in the middleweight final to become the third Chinese woman boxer to win gold at the Paris Olympics.
Prior to the Paris Olympics, Chinese women had failed to win boxing gold in three editions of the Games since women were first permitted to box at the 2012 Olympics.
Li becomes a three-times Olympic medallist, adding to her silver in Tokyo three years ago and bronze at the Rio Games in 2016 to complete the set.
“I took the fights step by step. But it has always been my dream to get a gold medal and it has finally come true. I was just so proud for my country when I saw the flag,” Li said.
Her opponent, Bylon, also made history, becoming Panama’s first ever female medallist.
“It’s a great achievement. It’s historic so I have to be delighted with that,” Bylon said.
“I am sure it will be a great reception when I get back to Panama even if it’s not gold I’m taking home.”
In the women’s featherweight final, Lin Yu-ting, one of two boxers at the heart of a gender dispute at the Paris Games, beat Poland’s Julia Szeremeta to become Taiwan’s first gold medallist in boxing.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Paris; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Sandra Maler)
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