The Unofficial 2008 Beijing Olympics Blog

When the Beijing 2008 Boxing tournament resumes on August 21 after a one-day break, fans will be treated with the semifinals of all 11 weight classes.

Light-Flyweight (48kg)

Medal favorite China’s Zou Shiming should defeat Paddy Barnes of Ireland and move into the gold medal match.

In the other semifinal bout, Pan American Champion Yampier Hernandez G of Cuba will fight Mongolian surprise packet Serdamba Purevdorj, who shocked Amnat Ruenroeng of Thailand 5-2 in the quarterfinals. Apart from Ruenroeng, Purevdorj also eliminated medal contender Luis Yanez of the United States in the Round of 16.

Flyweight (51kg)

The most anticipated bout in this weight class is the one between Italy’s Vincenzo Picardi and Thailand’s Somjit Jongjohor.

Jongjohor defeated Picardi in the semifinal of last year’s World Championships, and eventually claimed the silver medal. Picardi won the bronze medal in the same tournament.

In the other semifinal bout, Russia’s Georgy Balakshin will fight Andris Laffita Hernandez of Cuba.

Bantamweight (54kg)

The most competitive bout in this weight class will be between Enkhbat Badar-Uugan of Mongolia and Veaceslav Gojan of Moldova. Badar-Uugan, the runner-up at last year’s World Championships, cruised to the semifinal with easy wins in his first three bouts, while Gojan brought Indian boxer Akhil Kumar back to earth in the quarterfinals with a convincing 10-3 victory.

Kumar was confident of winning a medal after he eliminated World No. 1 Sergey Vodopyanov of Russia after a tight bout in the Round of 16.

In the other semifinal bout, Cuba’s Yankiel Leon Alarcon will meet Bruno Julie from Mauritius, which is a showdown between the bronze medalist of the 2008 Pan American Championships and the reigning African champion.

Featherweight (57kg)

Medal favorite in this weight category is Ukraine’s Vasyl Lomachenko, who has defeated a series of tough opponents to reach the semifinals, including Russia’s Albert Selimov, the reigning world and European champion and China’s Li Yang, the bronze medalist at last year’s World Championships.

Lomachenko’s semifinal rival is Turkey’s Yakup Kilic, an opponent he should outbox.

The other semifinal bout is between Azerbaijan’s Shahin Imranov and France’s Khedafi Djelkhir.

Imranov, who edged out Cuba’s Idel Torriente, the Pan American Champion 16-14 in the last round, should overcome his opponent and meet Lomachenko in the gold medal match.

Lightweight (60kg)

The final match in this category should be between two medal favorites. Yordenis Ugas of Cuba and Alexey Tishchenko of Russia should defeat their respective opponents, Daouda Sow of France and Romanian Georgian Popescu in the semifinals and compete for the gold medal.

The Romanian reached the semifinal because his quarterfinal opponent Baik Jong-sub of the Republic of Korea pulled out before the morning weigh-in due to a chest injury sustained in his previous bout.

Light Welterweight (64kg)

Medal favorite in this weight class is Thailand’s Manus Boonjumnong, the gold medalist at Athens 2004, who ousted a tough opponent in the previous round, Kazakhstan’s Serik Sapiyev, the reigning world and Asian champion.

Fighting against the Thai will be Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, who eliminated Russia’s Gennady Kovalev, the silver medalist at last year’s World Championships, 5-2 in the quarterfinal.

The other semifinal is between France’s Alexis Vastine and Felix Diaz of the Dominican Republic. Neither of them met strong resistance in the previous rounds.

Welterweight (69kg)

The most anticipated fight in this class is between Kim Jung-joo from the Republic of Korea and Kazakhstan’s Bakhyt Sarsekbayev. Kim is now the medal favorite after he upset Demetrius Andrade of the United States 11-9 in the quarterfinal round. Sarsekbayev, the Asian champion, hasn’t been troubled in his previous bouts.

China’s Hanati Silamu will fight Cuba’s Carlos Banteaux Suarez in the other semifinal. Hanati defeated three unheralded opponents in his initial bouts but he will be challenged by the Pan American champion in the semifinal.

Middleweight (75kg)

Two surprise semifinalists will fight in this weight class. James DeGale of Great Britain will take on Ireland’s Darren John Sutherland. DeGale finished off Kazakhstan’s Bakhtiyar Artayev, the Athens 2004 gold medalist 8-3. Sutherland thumped Venezuela’s Alfonso Blanco Parra, the silver medalist at last year’s World Championships, 11-1 in the quarterfinals.

In the other semifinal bout, Cuba’s Emilio Correa Bayeaux will fight India’s Vijender Kumar.

Light-Heavyweight (81kg)

With most medal favorites eliminated, or disqualified, in the previous round, Yerkebulan Shynaliyev of Kazakhstan is now the gold medal favorite. He will fight China’s Zhang Xiaoping, who beat Abdelhafid Benchabla of Algeria 12-7 in the quarterfinals.

The other semifinal bout is between Tony Jeffries of Great Britain and Kenny Egan of Ireland. Jeffries dominated the quarterfinal match with Hungary’s Imre Szello, knocking Szello down once in the final round to comfortably win 10-2. Egan also had a convincing victory, defeating Brazil’s Washington Silva 8-0.

Heavyweight (91kg)

Medal favorite in this weight class, Clemente Russo of Italy, will meet Deontay Wilder of the United States. Clemente should outbox his opponent and meet the winner of the semifinal between Russia’s Rakhim Chakhkiev and Cuba’s Osmai Acosta Duarte in the final.

The bout between Chakhkiev and Acosta Duarte is expected to be close. The Russian boxer was a silver medalist at last year’s World Championships and the Cuban is a Pan American champion.

Super-Heavyweights (+91kg)

Medal favorite in this weight class is Roberto Cammarelle of Italy, the reigning world champion, who has cruised to the semifinal without being troubled.

Cammarelle’s semifinal rival is Great Britain’s David Price. Price has improved a lot since Athens 2004, where he was eliminated in the qualifying stage. Price defeated Russia’s Islam Timurziev, the reigning European champion, in his opening match, but will face an even tougher challenge tomorrow.

The other semifinal bout between China’s Zhang Zhilei and Ukraine’s Vyacheslav Glazkov is expected to be close. Zhang, the bronze medalist at last year’s World Championships, crushed Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Myrsatayev 12-2 to reach the semifinal. Glazkov, the silver medal winner of the 2007 tournament, finished off Cuba’s Robert Alfonso Acea 5-3 in his opening match, before outboxing the 2007 African champion Newfel Ouatah of Algeria 10-4 in the last round.

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