Light-Heavyweight (≤81 kilograms), Men

The favorite was Russia’s Aleksandr Lebzyak, who had fought at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics as a middleweight, not making it to either podium. As a middle Lebzyak had won a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships and won one silver and two bronzes at the European Championships. But after the 1996 Olympics he moved up to the light-heavies and became virtually unbeatable. He won the 1997 World Championships and the European titles in 1998 and 2000. In Sydney he won three of his first four bouts by TKO, his only close match coming in the quarter-finals against France’s John Dovi, silver medalist at the 1999 Worlds, winning by a 13-11 decision. In the final Lebzyak knocked Czech Rudi Kraj all over the ring, winning 20-6. Lebzyak then turned professional, but it was not much of a career. He won one bout and then retired undefeated.