Daniyar Yeleussinov claimed Kazakhstan’s first gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Champion and two-time Asian Games winner Daniyar Yeleussinov won the gold medal of the Welterweight class (69 kg) which was our continent’s second success in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Asia had thirteen guaranteed medals after the eleventh competition day at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but our continent’s top athletes could raise this figure up to 17.
Women’s Lightweight class (60 kg):
China’s Yin Junhua was gold medallist in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games and also in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event and arrived to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as a medal favourite. The Chinese boxer eliminated Morocco’s Hasnaa Lachgar who is Africa’s best in this weight class and she eliminated Azerbaijan’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist experienced Yana Alekseevna in the quarter-final. The Chinese boxer’s hand was raised after the final bell which meant she was guaranteed medallist in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games but she was not enough satisfied with her result. Yin tried to work from longer distance to control her semi-final against Finland’s lone boxer in the Games Mira Potkonen. The Chinese boxer was a bit tired in the final round but her heart was enough to win their difficult contest in the semi-final and advanced to the Olympic gold medal bout. Yin will be boxing for the gold medal with France’s current AIBA Women’s World Champion Estelle Mossely.
Women’s Middleweight class (75 kg):
China’s Li Qian claimed four silver medals in major competitions until the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event which she won in Qian’an. She opened her competition in Rio de Janeiro against Brazil’s Andreia Bandeira who won several continental titles during her career. The AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Chinese boxer was better and better in each round and dominated their contest with her quickness. Li Qian advanced to the semi-final of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games which means all of the three Chinese women boxers are guaranteed medallists in the event.
Kazakhstan’s ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Dariga Shakimova is an experienced boxer who had to meet with Canada’s former two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Ariane Fortin in the preliminary round of the Middleweight class (75 kg). Shakimova won their narrow fight with the smallest possible difference and met today with Morocco’s AIBA African Olympic Qualification Event winner and Rio Test Event winner Khadija Mardi in the quarter-final. Shakimova tried to reduce their fighting distance against her taller African rival and finally her hand was raised due her stamina. Their quarter-final was close but Shakimova has got the right to box with United States’ London 2012 Olympic Champion Claressa Shields in the last four.
Men’s Flyweight class (52 kg):
Uzbekistan’s AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event winner and Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Shakhobiddin Zoirov developed well year by year in the current Olympic era. The Uzbek boxer trusted on his speed and his fighting spirit was stronger than Ireland’s Brendan Irvine’s and United States’ Toronto 2015 Panamerican Games winner Antonio Vargas in the previous rounds. Zoirov had to meet in the quarter-final with Azerbaijan’s defending AIBA World Champion Elvin Mamishzada but he was able to solve this tactical job today. The 23-year-old Uzbek boxer was quicker and he had more tactical combinations which delivered for him a place in the semi-finals.
China’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Hu Jianguan was an unknown boxer two years ago but he proved on his international appearances he is among the bests in this weight class. The 23-year-old Chinese boxer was in different level than Turkey’s two-time Olympian Selcuk Eker and eliminated Armenia’s Narek Abgaryan in the last eight. Hu Jianguan advanced to the quarter-finals where he had to meet with Cuba’s No.1 Yosbany Veitia. The Chinese boxer had a tricky style in their contest and after the first tactical round he raised his rhythm in the second. The Cuban boxer had to go to the medical corner three-times in their bout while Hu was amazing in the last minutes which meant China bagged its fourth medal in Rio de Janeiro.
Men’s Welterweight class (69 kg):
Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Champion Daniyar Yeleussinov was the Best Boxer of the World in 2013 and also in 2014 therefore he is the favourite of the Welterweight class (69 kg) in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 25-year-old Kazakh star eliminated Great Britain’s Baku 2015 European Games bronze medallist Joshua Kelly in his debuting match in Rio de Janeiro and continued his winning path against Venezuela’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Gabriel Maestre and France’s Souleymane Cissokho in the important semi-final. Kazakhstan’s national team captain had to meet in a classical Asian final with Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov who moved up to the Welterweight class (69 kg) only last year and quickly won their National Championships and the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event. Yeleussinov felt the rhythm and his footwork was one of the best this time and took the lead after three minutes of fight. Kazakhstan’s national pride won their gold medal contest with great counter-attacks which delivered the unanimous decision in the favour of Yeleussinov. Kazakhstan won the gold medal at the Welterweight class (69 kg) in the last four editions of the Olympic Games.