Russia's Evgeny Tishchenko bags heavyweight gold

The majority of the audience, in a Riocentro arena that was barely half full, reacted to the score announcement with derision while a pocket of Russian fans waved flags and celebrated.

Published : Aug 16, 2016 05:06 IST , Rio de Janeiro

Russia's Evgeny Tishchenko beat Kazakhstan's Vasily Levit on a unanimous points decision.
Russia's Evgeny Tishchenko beat Kazakhstan's Vasily Levit on a unanimous points decision.
lightbox-info

Russia's Evgeny Tishchenko beat Kazakhstan's Vasily Levit on a unanimous points decision.

Russia's Evgeny Tishchenko won the Olympic heavyweight 91kg boxing gold medal to a chorus of boos from the crowd on Monday after beating Kazakhstan's Vasily Levit on a unanimous points decision.

Levit, whose taller and longer-reached opponent required medical attention for a cut in the third and final round and who had been backed repeatedly on to the ropes, took the silver medal.

The bronze medals went to losing semi-finalists Rustam Tulaganov of Uzbekistan and Erislandy Savon of Cuba.

The majority of the audience, in a Riocentro arena that was barely half full, reacted to the score announcement with derision while a pocket of Russian fans waved flags and celebrated.

The judges scorecards had Levit narrowly ahead after the first round, with two out three giving it to the Kazakh, but they were unanimous in giving the second to the Russian.

Levit came on strong in a scrappy third round, with both men hitting out wildly and Tishchenko slipping and losing his balance.

The referee called a halt with 51 seconds remaining for inspection of a cut, before the fight resumed and ended in a flurry of punches.

Russian athletes have been regularly booed in Rio as a result of the country's doping scandal that has overshadowed the Games.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment