Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men

Kazimierz Paździor was a tough Pole who came to Rome with the experience gained from 175 amateur fights. A blacksmith by trade, he had won the 1957 European amateur championship, and won the gold medal in this class by winning five decisions, although only winning his first bout unanimously. In the semi-finals he faced Britain’s Dick McTaggart, the defending gold medalist who was British champion in 1956, 1958, and 1960, and McTaggart gave him all he could handle, with Paździor winning by 3-2 judges’ decision. The final saw him face the hometown favorite, Sandro Lopopolo, but Paździor prevailed by majority decision. Paździor retired from boxing after 1961, winning 179 of 194 amateur bouts. He then studied to become an economist and worked as a boxing coach. McTaggart never turned professional, boxing as an amateur thru 1965, representing Britain again in 1964 at Tokyo, where he went out early, and winning the 1961 European lightweight title and five ABA titles in his career. But it was Lopopolo who had the best pro career in the ring. He turned professional in early 1961 and fought through 1973, finishing with a career record of 59 wins, 10 losses, and 7 draws. Lopopolo was world light-welterweight champion from April 1966 to April 1967.

Missing from the Games was Olli Maki, a Finn who was the reigning European champion at this weight and considered a gold medal prospect. Maki’s club was aligned with the Finnish Worker´s Sports Federation, which was in the middle of an internal political split and not on good terms with the Finnish Olympic Committee. He was nominated for Rome on the proviso that he resigned from his club and joined another in better standing with his NOC. Maki refused and turned professional at the end of 1960.