But Hernandez didn’t promise Losey a third-place medal, even if it is the first prize the USA has won since heavyweight Deontay Wilder won a bronze in 2008. The real push will come in Tokyo in four years’ time although middleweight Claressa Shields will be favourite to retain her gold medal next week. “I know, win or lose, my supporters back home are proud of me either way”.
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Even if Hernandez smiled and said, “I’m not really sure how important this is”, the implications extend well beyond the clamor in Wichita encapsulated at the scene of the Cortez Mexican Restaurant on Wednesday night. “I just had to be on my top game tonight”. Egorov was seeded second by the AIBA, behind light flyweight Joahnys Argilagos (Cuba).
It guarantees the U.S. men’s boxing team their first Olympic medal since future WBC heavyweight title holder, Deontay Wilder won a bronze in the weight division in Beijing eight years ago.
Hernandez edged an action-packed encounter against Russia’s European champion Vasilii Egorov, who was the favourite in the bout and had an anti-American crowd on his side.
Dusmatov, however, proved to be a bit better in what was a winnable match for Hernandez.
“I knew I wasn’t expected to win”, said the victorious Hernandez. “I’ll be satisfied once I get the gold”. Martinez against Dusmatov for Olympic gold.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Nico Hernandez had a gnarly gash over his left eye that left him bloodied, with blurred vision and in need of stitches.
The time has finally come for an American boxer to get back on the Olympic podium.
“It doesn’t bother me”, he said of the booing.
Before each fight, Hernandez climbs into the ring, turns toward the turnbuckle, kneels and then prays. The three judges’ scores were all 29-28.
He added: “I know he’s with me here in spirit”. “I was definitely disappointed”.
“I fought his fight instead of my own”.
“They told me not to rush him, use the feints and let him come in, pick my uppercuts and stay on the outside”.
The USA has won more Olympic boxing medals (110) than any other nation.
The first US boxing medal in eight years is coming to Wichita.
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Walsh thinks if Hernandez continues to improve, he could be a gold-medal contender in Tokyo in 2020. The disappointment from Friday’s loss was still too fresh to make such an important decision. It means a lot to me that we are coming in here and getting the job done. Wednesday evening, Hernandez beat Carlos Eduardo Quipo Pilataxi of Ecuador in the 49-kilogram quarterfinals, continuing his improbable run and clinching the United States’ first boxing medal since 2008.
