Olympic Update: Russia Takes Middleweight Gold

By Scott Shaffer

28/08/2004

Olympic Update: Russia Takes Middleweight Gold

Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov scored a come-from behind victory against Gennadiy Golovkin to win an Olympic gold medal, something that just barely eluded him in Sydney four years ago. Golovkin, led after two ugly rounds of the middleweight bout that was filled with clinching. But Gaidarbekov put together solid third and fourth rounds and won the bout by the score of 28-18. It was the second gold medal in four bouts for Russia, thanks to featherweight Alexei Tichtchenko. In 2000, Gaidarbekov lost the gold medal bout to Cuba’s Jorge Gutierrez by just two points. The silver medal goes to Golovkin, the reigning world champion who advanced to the Olympic finals by defeating Andre Dirrell of the United States. One of the two bronze medals goes to Dirrell of Flint, Michigan. Twelve years ago, another Flint resident, Chris Byrd, won the silver medal in the same weight class.  Bronze medals: Andre Dirrell (United States), Suriya Prasathinphimai (Thailand)