Light-Flyweight, Freestyle (≤48 kg), Men

The minimal boycott of the 1988 Olympics had only a slight affect on the events in Seoul, save for the absence of the Cuban boxers. This event, however, was affected as the two-time World Champion was North Korean Li Jae-Sik, who could not compete. The runner-up at the 1987 Worlds was Korean Lee Sang-Ho. In his first match he met Japan’s Takashi Kobayashi and lost when Lee sustained a broken arm within the first minute. Kobayashi went on to win Group B, going undefeated although he was pushed in his final match against Turkey’s İlyas Şükrüoğlu, who led, 5-3, with only seconds left in the match but Kobayashi pulled off a last-minute move to win 6-5. He advanced to the final against Bulgarian Ivan Tsonov. Neither wrestler had ever won a medal at the senior international level, but Kobayashi won the gold medal, easily defeating Tsonov, 16-4, on points. The bronze medal went to Soviet Sergey Karamchakov, bronze medalist at the 1987 Worlds.