Two-time gold medal-winning boxer Arlen López from Cuba was knocked out of the competition by Oleksandr Khyzhniak from Ukraine on Sunday night in the 80-kilogram semifinals at the Paris Olympics.
López missed the chance to join Hungary’s Laszlo Papp and fellow Cubans Teófilo Stevenson and Félix Savón as the only three-time Olympic boxing gold medalists. Instead, López will win a bronze medal.
López lost 3:2 in an impressive fight against Khyzhniak, a silver medalist from Tokyo. Both López and Khyzhniak are considered among the top pound-for-pound fighters in Paris, and their match at the North Paris Arena showcased their skills.
The 29-year-old Khyzhniak started off slowly but demonstrated his incredible power and pressure in the last two rounds. He repeatedly pushed López back with strong combinations and sweeping punches, while López countered with fast hands and counterattacks.
López was ahead 20-18 on two scorecards going into the final round, with Khyzhniak leading 20-18 on a third card.
Khyzhniak dominated the last round, winning all five cards to secure the victory. After the final bell, both fighters continued to throw punches, and Khyzhniak’s late right hand made López stand still while Khyzhniak walked to his corner.
The fighters didn’t shake hands before the decision, but they hugged briefly afterward. They had not fought each other before, as Khyzhniak competed in the 75-kilogram division in Tokyo, which has since been removed.
The 31-year-old López aimed to make Olympic history and boost the Cuban team, which will leave Paris with two medals, the fewest for Cuba since 1968.
Cuba could still win one gold medal: Erislandy Álvarez will compete in the men’s 63.5-kg final after defeating Georgia’s Lasha Guruli 5:0 in the match before López’s bout with Khyzhniak.
