Boxing
at the Games of the XXIII Olympiad
Dates29 July-11 August 1984
Competitors354 from 81 nations

Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics took place in the Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, California, United States. The boxing schedule began on July 29 and ended on August 11. Twelve boxing events were contested with the participation of 354 fighters from 81 countries.[1] A Soviet-led boycott resulted in the withdrawals of the Soviet Union, Cuba, East Germany, Bulgaria and other Eastern Bloc nations from boxing competitions.

At the 1980 Summer Olympics, that was impacted by an American-led boycott, Cuban boxers won 10 medals, with 6 of them being gold, and had again been expected to do well.[2] However, the nation withdrew from the games following the announcement of the Soviet boycott.[3] Teófilo Stevenson, who was going to try for his fourth Olympic gold medal before the boycott was officially announced,[2] had previously defeated Tyrell Biggs twice (one by knockout) and Hermenegildo Báez had previously defeated Henry Tillman. Soviet Alexander Yagubkin defeated both Biggs and Tillman during the USA–USSR duals. Cuban and Soviet boxers, however, were more seasoned than their American counterparts.[4] While US athletes typically turned pro after the Olympics, while still in their early twenties, Cubans and the Soviets were not allowed to do so and stayed on in the amateurs, participating in multiple Olympic cycles.[5]

Evander Holyfield was controversially disqualified in the Light heavyweight semifinals for punching New Zealand boxer Kevin Barry after what seemed to be a stop. However, replay shows that the referee stopped the bout after his punches.[6][7] Under IABA health regulation Barry was not allowed to box for 28 days, so he was scratched from the final, giving Yugoslav boxer Anton Josipović the uncontested gold medal.[7] During the medal ceremony, Josipović pulled bronze medalist Holyfield onto the highest step of the podium and raised his hand, acknowledging that Holyfield deserved to compete in the final.[8]

Due to the increasing size of heavyweight boxers (which put lighter heavyweights at a disadvantage), the Heavyweight division was split in two. The boxers above 200 pounds, were placed in the newly created Super Heavyweight division.

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States (USA)*91111
2 Italy (ITA)1225
3 Yugoslavia (YUG)1124
4 South Korea (KOR)1113
5 Canada (CAN)0213
6 Puerto Rico (PUR)0112
7 Mexico (MEX)0101
 New Zealand (NZL)0101
 Nigeria (NGR)0101
 Thailand (THA)0101
11 Algeria (ALG)0022
 Turkey (TUR)0022
 Venezuela (VEN)0022
14 Cameroon (CMR)0011
 Dominican Republic (DOM)0011
 Finland (FIN)0011
 France (FRA)0011
 Great Britain (GBR)0011
 Kenya (KEN)0011
 Netherlands (NED)0011
 Romania (ROU)0011
 West Germany (FRG)0011
 Zambia (ZAM)0011
Totals (23 entries)12122448

Medal summary

Event Gold Silver Bronze
Light flyweight (–48 kg)
Paul Gonzales
 United States
Salvatore Todisco
 Italy
Marcelino Bolivar
 Venezuela
Keith Mwila
 Zambia
Flyweight (–51 kg)
Steve McCrory
 United States
Redžep Redžepovski
 Yugoslavia
Eyüp Can
 Turkey
Ibrahim Bilali
 Kenya
Bantamweight (–54 kg)
Maurizio Stecca
 Italy
Héctor López
 Mexico
Dale Walters
 Canada
Pedro Nolasco
 Dominican Republic
Featherweight (–57 kg)
Meldrick Taylor
 United States
Peter Konyegwachie
 Nigeria
Omar Catarí
 Venezuela
Turgut Aykaç
 Turkey
Lightweight (–60 kg)
Pernell Whitaker
 United States
Luis Ortiz
 Puerto Rico
Chun Chil-Sung
 South Korea
Martin Ndongo-Ebanga
 Cameroon
Light welterweight (–63 kg)
Jerry Page
 United States
Dhawee Umponmaha
 Thailand
Mircea Fulger
 Romania
Mirko Puzović
 Yugoslavia
Welterweight (–67 kg)
Mark Breland
 United States
An Young-Su
 South Korea
Joni Nyman
 Finland
Luciano Bruno
 Italy
Light middleweight (–71 kg)
Frank Tate
 United States
Shawn O'Sullivan
 Canada
Christophe Tiozzo
 France
Manfred Zielonka
 West Germany
Middleweight (–75 kg)
Shin Joon-Sup
 South Korea
Virgil Hill
 United States
Aristides González
 Puerto Rico
Mohamed Zaoui
 Algeria
Light heavyweight (–81 kg)
Anton Josipović
 Yugoslavia
Kevin Barry
 New Zealand
Evander Holyfield
 United States
Mustapha Moussa
 Algeria
Heavyweight (–91 kg)
Henry Tillman
 United States
Willie DeWit
 Canada
Angelo Musone
 Italy
Arnold Vanderlyde
 Netherlands
Super heavyweight (+ 91 kg)
Tyrell Biggs
 United States
Francesco Damiani
 Italy
Robert Wells
 Great Britain
Aziz Salihu
 Yugoslavia

See also

References

  1. "Boxing at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. 1 2 Cuba Withdraws From Olympic by the Associated Press, The New York Times, May 24, 1984.
  3. Alfano, Peter. Boxing: Americans Rated Above '76 Unit, The New York Times, July 29, 1984.
  4. "Barry McGuigan explains Cuban boxing success". BBC Sport.
  5. New Olympic Sanctions, The New York Times, December 5, 1984.
  6. "25 Years Later: Evander Holyfield Robbed of Gold in the 1984 Olympics". 21 July 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 AP (12 August 1984). "Holyfield loses appeal, but gains bronze". Boca Raton News. p. 4D. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  8. "25 Years Later: Evander Holyfield Robbed of Gold in the 1984 Olympics". 21 July 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
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