2008 Olympic Games page

In one of the most frenetic bouts of the tournament to date, 2005 world champion Oksung Lee (KOR) repeated his semifinal win over Rau'shee Warren (USA) of three years ago to beat the current world champion 9-8 in a pulsating 51kg preliminary bout at the Olympic Games boxing competition in the Workers' Indoor Arena in Beijing, China on Tuesday.

Pic: Lee lands a punch on Warren's chin during their epic encounter

The two flyweight super stars couldn't be separated as they went punch for punch in a riveting bout which had the 10,000 capacity crowd on the edge of their seats. At 4:4 after the first round, the first of many chants for Korea started before USA rang out in return around the amphitheatre. The second and third rounds were scored at 2:2 and 1:1 before Lee edged ahead in the final round. Unbelievably, a mis-communication between Warren and his corner saw him start dancing with 10 seconds to go before the message finally got through that he was one down rather than one-up.

"I didn't know I was down," Warren, who is the first two-time American boxing Olympian in 30 years, said after the bout. "I thought I was up, when my coach started yelling to me to start throwing punches. There was so much going on in the crowd, when I stood there at the end I thought I was up."

"It is hard just thinking about the weeks and months that I've been working towards this. I got a little unsportsmanlike there throwing my headgear but it doesn't feel real. It doesn't feel like I lost because I was fighting so hard."

"I was confused why he stopped," Warren's coach Dan Campbell said. "I think he heard someone in the stands yelling move but we were screaming at him to punch."

Pic: Warren's motivation is clear for all to see 

"I beat him three years ago but I was a little bit worried before the bout," Lee said. "But I enjoyed the match and I won."

The other 51kg medallists from the AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007 all had successful days with runner-up Somjit Jongjohor (THA) beating Eddie Valenuela (GUA) 6:1 while the bronze medallists Samir Mammadov (AZE) and Vincenzo Picardi (ITA) beat Abdelillah Nhaila (MAR) 19:4 and Cassius Chiyanika (ZAM) 10:3 respectively.

Meanwhile, Athens silver medallist Jerome Thomas (FRA) lost in a disappointing fashion going down to Juan Carlos Payano (DOM) 10:6 in his opening contest.
 
In the 54kg class, AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007 bronze medallist Joe Murray (GBR) was knocked out of the competition by an impressive Yu Gu (CHN), who used the home advantage to excellent effect to register a 17:7 victory, while world champion Sergey Vodopyanov (RUS) got off to an excellent start, beating AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007 bronze medallist McJoe Arroyo Acevedo (PUR) 10:5.

The Olympic Games boxing competition continues on Wednesday with the 48kg and 91kg divisions starting at 13:30.