Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men

Cuba’s Mario Kindelán could not have been a clearer favourite for the Olympic title if his feet had been nailed to the top step of the podium since the Sydney Games. The Cuban was a master of the technical side of boxing and had won every major competition he had entered since 1999. His chances were further helped when world silver medallist Pichai Sayota failed to qualify for Athens.

The wildcard in the draw was British fighter Amir Khan who, at 17, was too young to even contest his national championships. His victory at the World Junior Championship had forced the hand of Great Britain’s selectors and he duly repaid them by winning the final qualifying tournament. Khan then defeated the champions of Europe and Asia in his unexpected progression to the Olympic final.

The young Briton fought well but the experience gained by the Cuban in his years at the top of amateur boxing proved far too much for Khan and Kindelan’s expertise helped him retain the Olympic title with a margin of 8 points. An illustration of the two fighters’ relative experience was that while the Olympic final was only Khan’s 14th senior fight it was the 330th of Kindelan’s career. This was the to be the last major fight of the Cuban’s career and he then moved into coaching and was for a time involved in the British coaching programme. Khan on the other hand turned professional and became a world champion in the light-welterweight division.