Russians secure medals in boxing

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Sydney: Four Russian boxers punched their way to the Olympic medals on Tuesday while world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield watched the hardest- hitting American be outclassed in three rounds.

Middleweight Jeff Lacy, whose US team captain Michael Bennett was to fight Cuba's Olympic heavyweight champion Felix Savon later, was declared outclassed after trailing Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov by 15 points.

"He was so awkward to get to I couldn't get my way up," said Lacy, who was 18-3 down. "His reach was long...I was not able to do the things I wanted to do.

"I think they should eliminate that 15 point rule because a puncher like me has always got a chance."

Gaidarbekov followed bantamweight Raimkoul Malakhbekov, lightweight Alexandr Maletin and Olympic welterweight champion Oleg Saitov into the semi-finals.

In Olympic boxing, losing semi-finalists get bronze.

Saitov won on a tiebreak after suffering two penalty points in the last 10 seconds to allow Azerbaijan's Ruslan Khairov to level 10-10. He won the decision 55-47.

Spanish light-flyweight Rafael Lozano was the first to secure a medal, ending Kenyan hopes in the process, while hosts Australia saw their last man outclassed in the quarter-finals by a tough Ukrainian.

Lozano, a bronze medallist in 1996 and now in his third Olympics, beat Kenya's Suleiman Bilali 11-10 with Spain's Prince Felipe watching.

His semi-final opponent will meet North Korean Kim Un Chol, who beat Lithuanian Ivan Stapovic 22-10.

Kane unable to medal

Australian bantamweight Justin Kane was outclassed after 28 seconds of the fourth round by Serguey Daniltchenko.

The Ukrainian was 20-3 ahead on points and will fight Russian Malakhbekov, the 1995 and 1997 world champion, for a place in the final. Malakhbekov, a bronze medallist in 1996, beat Alisher Rahimov of Uzbekistan 16-10.

"I was surprised with the scoring. None of the blows really affected me. I did what I could. I just didn't come through with the goods," said Kane.

"I wouldn't say he's classy, but he has got a good defence," he added of Daniltchenko.

Stylish Cuban lightweight Mario Kindelan, the hot gold medal favourite and world champion, overpowered Greece's Tigkran Ouzlian as expected.

Ouzlian had a cut under his right eye inspected by the ringside doctor after the first round as he trailed 10-2. The fight was stopped 10 seconds from the end of the fourth round after Kindelan led 24-9.

The Cuban's semi-final opponent will be Russian Maletin, who outclassed Turkey's Georgian-born Selim Palyani.

Palyani, whose featherweight brother Ramazan has yet to fight his quarter-final, was given a standing eight count at the end of third round and was stopped 16 seconds into the fourth with the score 21-6 to Maletin.

Saitov will fight Romanian Dorel Simion, who beat Germany's Steven Kuchler 26-14.

Hungary's Zsolt Erdei reached the semi-finals by beating Ukrainian Aleksandr Zubrihin 14-9 and now meets Gaidarbekov.



(c) Reuters Limited.