Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Ukraine's Lomachenko a one-hit wonder

August 23, 2008 20:31 IST

Vasyl LomachenkoUkraine's Vasyl Lomachenko needed just one hit to snatch his Olympic title in the featherweight category on Saturday.

The 2006 junior world champion, arguably the finest pound-for-pound amateur boxer, found the target after less than a minute in a one-sided contest against France's Khedafi Djelkhir.

Once he was hit, Djelkhir just could not follow the pace and received three standing counts. After only one minute and 51 seconds, the bout was over.

"I made a very precise hit at the start and then I never let the initiative slip away from me," said Lomachenko.

The Frenchman, dubbed 'El Toro' (The Bull) by the Cubans, entered the ring with all guns blazing and scored the first point.

"He hit me once and then I could never recuperate. He deserves his win," said Djelkhir.

Before making Djelkhir look like no more than a sparring-partner, Lomachenko outpointed world champion Albert Selimov of Russia and China's Li Yang.

Li Yang is all Lomachenko knows about China. "Some of my team mates went shopping and sightseeing in Beijing. Well, I did not because my coaches and my father told me to focus on boxing," he said.

Both Djelkhir and Lomachenko plan to turn professional.

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.