The Rio 2016 Olympic Boxing Tournament brought together athletes from 76 nations and 4 continents to Riocentro Pavilion 6 for 16 days of boxing – one of only two sports to feature on every day of the Games.
s the bouts progressed and the first medals were awarded, so records were made and legends written, and Rio 2016 will stand up as one of the most memorable Olympic Boxing competitions since it debuted in St Louis, over a century ago, in 1904.
“We have witnessed one of the greatest-ever Olympic Boxing competitions here in Rio over the past 16 days,” said AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu. “The high standard of the boxing, with 19 countries participating in the Semi-Final stage, the excellent organisation of the Rio 2016 LOC and the warmth and passion of the Brazilian people all combined to create a truly special tournament. I would like to congratulate all of our 13 Olympic Champions for their remarkable achievements in the ring. They are the best ambassadors for our sport which has again demonstrated its vitality and its unique global appeal.”
“AIBA made several important reforms earlier this year that further added to this momentous occasion. Following exhaustive research, Rio 2016 was the first Olympic Games since 1984 at which the men boxed without headguards. We successfully opened the door to non-AIBA boxers for the first time and for only the second time, men and women successfully competed side by side in the ring. This is a historic moment for AIBA and for boxing around the world, and we now have four years to work with this success and continue to build towards Tokyo 2020, with the unwavering support of our 200 national federations.”
By the end of the boxing competition, no fewer than 19 different nations had left with at least one medal. Britain’s Nicola Adams (51kg) and the USA’s Claressa Shields (75kg) successfully defended their London 2012 titles, Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez (56kg) won a second successive gold after his Flyweight (52kg) triumph four years ago and Brazil opened its arms to its first ever Olympic Champion in the ring, Robson Conceição (60kg), whose victory will inspire a new generation of boxers in the host country.
Ramirez’s compatriots Arlen Lopez (75kg) and Julio Cesar La Cruz (81kg) made it three boxing golds for Cuba, a feat matched by Uzbekistan, the team winning three titles through Hasanboy Dusmatov (49kg), Shakhobidin Zoirov (52kg) and Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (64kg). Dusmatov also received the men’s Val Barker trophy for outstanding boxer of the tournament, with Claressa Shields becoming the first woman to win the trophy.
Also crowned Olympic Champions at Rio 2016 were Daniyar Yeleussinov (69kg) of Kazakhstan, Russia’s Evgeny Tishchenko, and Estelle Mossely (60kg) and Tony Yoka (+91kg) of France.
Thousands of boxing fans both new and old packed out the Pavilion 6 arena for each of the 27 sessions held across 16 days, while the unique Sports Experience area gave the public the chance to get closer to Olympic Boxing, the AIBA family and its HeadsUp initiative, as well as receiving training tips from top coaches.
Rio 2016 Olympic Games gold medalists
- Women’s 51 kg – Nicola ADAMS (GBR)
- Women’s 60 kg – Estelle MOSSELY (FRA)
- Women’s 75 kg – Claressa SHIELDS (USA)
- Men’s 49 kg – Hasanboy DUSMATOV (UZB)
- Men’s 52 kg – Shakhobidin ZOIROV (UZB)
- Men’s 56 kg – Robeisy RAMIREZ (CUB)
- Men’s 60 kg – Robson CONCEICAO (BRA)
- Men’s 64 kg – Fazliddin GAIBNAZAROV (UZB)
- Men’s 69 kg – Daniyar YELEUSSINOV (KAZ)
- Men’s 75 kg – Arlen LOPEZ (CUB)
- Men’s 81 kg – Julio Cesar LA CRUZ (CUB)
- Men’s 91 kg – Evgeny TISHCHENKO (RUS)
- Men’s 91+ kg – Tony YOKA (FRA)
