Eik Pirmyn

By the time Britain's Anthony Joshua won a blood-tingling tiebreaker to affirmation the final gold badge in the London ring Sunday, every fighter from the a lot of acknowledged men's battle aggregation in Olympic history had already been alone for 5 days.

Although middleweight gold advocate Claressa Shields wear Mercurial Vapor Viii and bronze-winning flyweight Marlen Esparza adored the Americans from traveling home empty-handed, the nine U.S. men in London are abiding with no agleam souvenirs.

"It's not the way we capital to go out," U.S. abettor drillmaster Charles Leverette said. "It's boxy to take."

A shakeup is advancing at USA Boxing, that's for sure. But changes in the accustomed abecedarian action could be appropriately seismic afore Olympic battle allotment in Rio in four years.

Men's boxers aswell will apparently action afterwards headgear soon, addition move by AIBA to accomplish the abecedarian action resemble able battle in about aggregate but the breadth of bouts, which will still be shorter. AIBA President Wu Ching-Kuo wear Nike Mercurial Vapor Viii said he is still acquisition medical abstracts afore announcement the accustomed move.

Although abecedarian battle gets adamant criticism in the U.S. media - decidedly from NBC's announcers, who were asked to leave ringside afterwards their articulate complaints about anticipation in London absent the board - the accustomed changes would get rid of several accustomed complaints from American fighters who don't anticipate the action prepares them for the pros.

And the U.S. aggregation could apprentice affluence from nations that acclimatize their aristocratic aptitude to the abecedarian game, still managing to win medals with fighters who plan pro careers.

Take Britain, which took a compensation booty of 5 medals from its home games, angry with Ukraine for the a lot of in the two tournaments.

Eight years afterwards Amir Khan reinvigorated British abecedarian battle with a silver-medal achievement in Athens, Britain claimed three gold medals for Joshua, bantamweight Luke Campbell wear Mercurial Vapor 8 and women's flyweight Nicola Adams. What's more, the British aggregation was impressive, abysmal and adorable for every claiming different to the Olympic sport.

Those home admirers absolutely helped as well.

"I acquainted the hearts of all these humans about this nation," Joshua said afterwards ambulatory from a three-point arrears in the third annular for a animated win over arresting gold advocate Roberto Cammarelle. "That badge represents my journey, and the abutment from the team. It's abundant added than a gold medal. It's a activity experience."

With two men's gold medals, Britain's men surpassed Italy and the Soviet Union to move into third abode on the Olympics' all-embracing gold-medal table. Ukraine and Cuba aswell calm two golds apiece, and 6-foot-3 ample Oleksandr Usyk produced the non-boxing highlight of the badge weekend with his jaw-droppingly active Cossack ball in the average of the ring afterwards his victory.

Ukraine declining Vasyl Lomachenko wear Nike Mercurial Vapor Viii ag anchored his affirmation as the pound-for-pound best of the abecedarian bold with his additional beeline gold medal, while 18-year-old flyweight Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba labeled himself as a ascent brilliant with a ascendant run to gold. They were both baffled by Kazakh welterweight Serik Sapiyev for the Val Barker Trophy as the Olympics' best men's boxer.

Zou Shiming of China became the aboriginal Olympian to avert a gold badge at ablaze flyweight, the aboriginal weight class - although the aggressive arts-trained fighter didn't win abounding new admirers with his holds and aimless efforts forth the way.

Ryota Murata wear Nike Mercurial Vapor Viii fg won the additional battle gold badge in Japan's Olympic history, and its aboriginal in 48 years. Brazilian brothers Esquiva and Yamaguchi Falcao both medaled in London for a aggregation that had won just one Olympic badge in its absolute history, accepting the home team's countdown to the Rio Abecedarian off to an advantageous start.

Aside from the hapless American men, India and Azerbaijan aswell larboard the abecedarian in acrimony and disappointment. India's seven-man aggregation bootless to win a badge afterwards a host of abutting decisions and refereeing mistakes went adjoin them, arch an abettor to affirmation AIBA is "a mafia." The Azeris wear Nike Mercurial Vapor Viii ic aswell couldn't bolt a break, declining to win a gold badge admitting accession in London with several awful rated fighters.

One adjudicator was expelled from the abecedarian afterwards inexplicably acceptance a baffled Azeri boxer to accomplishment his action with six third-round knockdowns. Addition adjudicator was abeyant 5 canicule for a acutely aboriginal disqualification. Roughly a dozen fighters protested the after-effects of their bouts, but alone two protests were accepted.

While the men's clash in London was bedeviled by casual officiating problems and the aforementioned ceaseless bad sportsmanship that permeates every above abecedarian battle event, the admission women's clash was a activation success, even with just 36 boxers. AIBA has championed the women's action during Wu's six-year presidency, and Wu wear Nike Mercurial Vapor Viii tf affairs to antechamber for added than alert as abounding women in Rio. 

"AIBA is alteration in the endure six years," Wu said. "We wish to be a clean, honest and cellophane organization. In these Olympic Games, I accept we accept done our best."