In Villepinte, France, on Sunday night at the Paris Olympics, Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine defeated two-time gold medal-winning boxer Arlen López of Cuba in the 80-kilogram semifinals. López, aiming to become a three-time Olympic boxing gold medalist alongside Laszlo Papp, Teófilo Stevenson, and Félix Savón, will settle for the bronze instead.
The intense fight between López and Khyzhniak, both considered top contenders in the Paris field, ended with a 3:2 victory in favor of Khyzhniak. Despite López leading on two cards heading into the final round, Khyzhniak’s dominance in the last minutes secured his win on all five cards. The fighters displayed impressive skills and received applause for their performance at the North Paris Arena.
Khyzhniak, at 29 years old, showcased his power and pressure in the later rounds after a slow start. Meanwhile, López, aged 31, demonstrated his quick hands and counterpunching abilities throughout the match. Despite a competitive and thrilling fight, the Ukrainian boxer emerged victorious, setting up a final matchup against Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan on Wednesday night at Roland Garros.
The Cuban team, heading home with its lowest medal count since 1968, still has a shot at securing a gold medal through Erislandy Álvarez, who will compete in the men’s 63.5-kg final. López and Khyzhniak, who had never fought before, showed mutual respect after the bout, hugging briefly following the intense competition.
Khyzhniak, known as one of the most formidable amateur boxers of his generation, is now on the brink of redemption after his unexpected loss in Tokyo. Following a 24-0 record since that defeat, Khyzhniak’s impressive performance in Paris positions him as a strong contender for the gold medal in the 80-kilo final. The Ukrainian fighter aims to leave a mark in Olympic boxing history with a standout performance at the Paris Olympics.