PARIS — Erislandy Alvarez prevented Cuba from leaving without Olympic boxing gold in Paris, winning a split decision over Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha in the super lightweight category on Wednesday.
The boxer from the province of Cienfuegos got revenge on Oumiha, of Moroccan descent, who had defeated him in his most recent fight. The judges gave the Cuban the victory by 3-2.
On his way to the top of the podium, Alvarez defeated John Ume of Papua New Guinea before defeating Algeria’s Jugurtha Ait Bekka, Thailand’s Bunjung Sinsiri and Georgia’s Lasha Guruli.
It was the 41st gold medal won by the island in Olympic boxing history. In total, Cuba has 78 Olympic medals in its coffers.
But he ran the risk of leaving the French capital without any titles.
Alvarez avoided this with his victory at the 63.5 kilogram limit, thanks to the agility with which he avoided the blows of his opponent, who took the initiative in the first round.
As the fight progressed, Alvarez managed to counterattack with good combinations of overhead punches and the occasional uppercut that weakened the fighter’s combativeness.
During the third round, Alvarez showed that he knew he had the advantage in the fight and he managed it. He even showed off with a dance in the final moments in front of his rival.
More spectacular was the somersault with which he celebrated his victory in the ring.
This is Cuba’s third overall medal at these Games and its second gold medal, after the one won by legendary wrestler Mijaín López.
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