BAKHODIR Jalolov is now a two-time Olympic gold medallist after defeating Ayoub Ghadfa to win the super heavyweight gold medal. The big Uzbek struggled to keep the younger fighter at bay but resisted the temptation to take him down and score a KO, opting instead to step up and secure history. The judges’ decision was unanimous.
Now 14-0 as a professional, with 14 knockouts, Jalolov has comfortably moved back to the amateur scene to take another shot at Olympic glory. Jalolov also won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, defeating Frazer Clarke and Richard Torrez en route to success.
He stepped forward on the front foot here, looking to overwhelm Ghadfa with a left straight and a powerful left. Ghadfa had his moments of success, but two stops at the end of the opening round left the Spaniard scrambling to mount.
Ghadfa’s left jab and left hook were effective in the second round, but Jalolov’s slow left also landed. The Spaniard needed a big punch to turn things around. But it wasn’t to be, as Jalolov finished the fight.
Li Qian wins Olympic middleweight gold medal
China’s Li Qian won the Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division, defeating Panama’s Atheyna Bylon by split decision. Qian was left screaming after a competitive contest in which the winner picked the right punch at the right time.
Winning any medal would have been a historic achievement for the Panamanian. Qian’s sharp right hand and experience helped her win the first round.
The referee criticized Bylon in the second round when she used some clinching and striking to try to get into the fight. She won the round, but her left-handed skills were not enough as Qian landed the better shots.
The Chinese woman won the match 4-1 as Beylon won her third set in five games as she tried her best to turn the game around.
Abdumalik Khalokov wins Olympic gold medal in featherweight
UZBEKISTAN’s Abdumalik Khalokov won the gold medal in the men’s featherweight final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Khalokov won by unanimous decision over underdog Munarbek Seitbek Uulu from Kyrgyzstan.
After much twisting and bending, Khalokov led on all five scorecards after the first round. Seitbek Uulu tried to land a left punch in that round and again in the second as the Kyrgyz fighter tried to put pressure on the dynamic dancer.
The fight became chaotic at times, with the referee warning both men for submissions and grapples. Qual Khalokov, 24, started to show off in the third round when Seitbek Uulu switched to his left hand in an attempt to turn the tide. The Uzbek earned a UD and his country’s fourth boxing gold medal of the games.
Lin Yu-ting wins Olympic gold medal in featherweight
Lin Yu-ting won the featherweight gold medal by defeating Poland’s Julia Szeremeta by unanimous decision.
It was a clash of styles. Szeremeta’s confident, self-assured style contrasted with Lin’s taller, more upright and powerful stance. Lin was the woman with significantly more experience. Like Imane Khelif, who won gold last night, Lin Yu-ting faced a firestorm of problems.
After a solid 5-0 opening round, Lin opened the second with a telephone pole left. Szeremeta desperately searched for a big balancing shot, but her chin was often within reach of Lin’s inside jabs. Those shots helped the Chinese Taiwanese win the second round.
Szeremeta needed to stop the fight when Lin landed a left hand in the third round that left Szeremeta’s nose bleeding. Lin went on to win the gold medal with a unanimous decision. Szeremeta’s silver marked Poland’s first-ever women’s boxing victory.
