Boxing at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Light middleweight explained

Event:	Light middleweight boxing
Games:	1988 Summer
Venue:	Jamsil Students' Gymnasium
Dates:	20 September – 2 October
Competitors:	36
Nations:	36
Gold:	Park Si-hun
Goldnoc:	KOR
Silver:	Roy Jones Jr.
Silvernoc:	USA
Bronze:	Raymond Downey
Bronzenoc:	CAN
Bronze2:	Richard Woodhall
Bronzenoc2:	GBR
Prev:	1984
Next:	1992

The men's light middleweight event was part of the boxing programme at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The weight class allowed boxers of up to 71 kilograms to compete. The competition was held from 20 September to 2 October 1988. 36 boxers from 36 nations competed.^[1]

19-year-old Roy Jones Jr. of the U.S. dominated his opponents, never losing a single round en route to the final. In the final, he controversially lost a 3–2 decision to 23-year-old South Korean fighter Park Si-Hun, four years his senior, despite pummeling Park for three rounds and landing 86 punches to Park's 32.^{[2] [3] [4]}

Results

The following boxers took part in the event:^[1]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3T
3T
5T
5T
5T
5T
9T
9T
9T
9T
9T
9T
9T
9T
17T	Charles Mahlalela
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
17T
32T
32T
32T
32T
32T

First round

• Segundo Mercado (ECU) def. Kofi Emmanuel Quaye (GHA), KO-3
• Raymond Downey (CAN) def. Jorge López (ARG), 5:0
• Norbert Nieroba (FRG) def. Garth Felix (GRN), KO-1
• Abrar Hussain (PAK) def. Noureddine Meziane (ALG), KO-2
• François Mayo (CMR) def. Moussa Viavindi (RCA), RSC-1

Second round

• Peter Silva (BRA) def. Charles Mahlalela (SWZ), 5:0
• Rey Rivera (PUR) def. George Allison (GUY), 5:0
• Richard Woodhall (GBR) def. Desmond Williams (SLE), 5:0
• Apolinario Silveira (ANG) def. Mohamed Orungi (KEN), RSC-2
• Michal Franek (TCH) def. Isaack Impatu (VAN), walk-over
• Roy Jones Jr. (USA) def. M'tendere Makalamba (MLW), KO-1
• Yevgeni Zaytsev (URS) def. Gary Smikle (JAM), 5:0
• Sounaila Sagnon (BUR) def. John Bosco Waigo (UGA), RSC-1
• Park Si-Hun (KOR) def. Abdullah Ramadan (SUD), RSC-2
• Torsten Schmitz (GDR) def. Angel Stoyanov (BUL), 3:2
• Quinn Paynter (BER) def. Johnny de Lima (DEN), RSC-3
• Vincenzo Nardiello (ITA) def. Likou Aliu (SAM), KO-3
• Martin Kitel (SWE) def. Ncholu Monontsi (LES), 5:0
• Segundo Mercado (ECU) def. Vaban Banko (ZAI), 5:0
• Raymond Downey (CAN) def. Norbert Nieroba (FRG), 3:2
• Abrar Hussain (PAK) def. François Mayo (CMR), RSC-2

Third round

• Rey Rivera (PUR) def. Peter Silva (BRA), KO-1
• Richard Woodhall (GBR) def. Apolinario Silveira (ANG), 5:0
• Roy Jones Jr. (USA) def. Michal Franek (TCH), 5:0
• Yevgeni Zaytsev (URS) def. Sounaila Sagnon (BUR), RSC-2
• Park Si-Hun (KOR) def. Torsten Schmitz (GDR), 5:0
• Vincenzo Nardiello (ITA) def. Quinn Paynter (BER), KO-2
• Martin Kitel (SWE) def. Segundo Mercado (ECU), 3:2
• Raymond Downey (CAN) def. Abrar Hussain (PAK), 5:0

Quarterfinals

• Richard Woodhall (GBR) def. Rey Rivera (PUR), 5:0
• Roy Jones Jr. (USA) def. Yevgeni Zaytsev (URS), 5:0
• Park Si-Hun (KOR) def. Vincenzo Nardiello (ITA), 3:2
• Raymond Downey (CAN) def. Martin Kitel (SWE), 5:0

Semifinals

• Roy Jones Jr. (USA) def. Richard Woodhall (GBR), 5:0
• Park Si-Hun (KOR) def. Raymond Downey (CAN), 5:0

Final

• Park Si-Hun (KOR) def. Roy Jones Jr. (USA), 3:2

Judges Zaur Gvadzhava of the Soviet Union and Sándor Pajar of Hungary each voted for Jones, 60–56, on the 20-point must system. Alberto Duran of Uruguay and Hiouad Larbi of Morocco voted for Park, each by 59–58. Bob D. Kasule of Uganda gave 59–59 a draw, but decided that Park was more aggressive.^[5] As the decision was highly controversial, it eventually led the Olympic authorities to introduce a new high-tech scoring system, which in turn was intended to eliminate biased judging.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Boxing at the 1988 Seoul Summer Games: Men's Light Middleweight . https://web.archive.org/web/20200418124527/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1988/BOX/mens-light-middleweight.html . dead . 18 April 2020 . Sports Reference . 5 January 2019.
2. News: In Losing, a Boxer Won . The New York Times . David . Mamet . 7 October 1988 . 10 April 2010.
3. News: Sports of The Times – Nice Gesture Substitutes For Justice – NYTimes.com. 26 September 1997. Query.nytimes.com. 16 April 2015.
4. Web site: Seoul Games scarred by riots. in.rediff.com. 22 August 2008 .
5. https://newspaperarchive.com/st-louis-sporting-news-oct-10-1988-p-8/ Boxers Rise From Swamp
6. https://books.google.com/books?id=B2L4V804mngC&pg=PA95 Higher, Further, Faster: Is Technology Improving Sport?