Robinson Pitalúa

In his all-too-short life Colombian bantamweight boxer Robinson Pitalúa showed great promise in the ring both as an amateur and a professional. In 1981 Pitalúa won silver at the Bolivarian Games after losing to Manuel Vílchez (VEN) in the final. He followed this up with a bronze at the 1983 Pan American Games before being selected to represent Colombia at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. At the Games he defeated Hugh Dyer (BIZ) and Babar Ali Khan (PAK) before losing to the eventual gold medallist Maurizio Stecca (ITA) in the quarter-finals.

After more than 90 fights as an amateur Pitalúa turned professional in 1984, winning all of his six fights as a pro. Tragically, however, Pitalúa died in a drowning accident in Miami just a year after making his professional début. He was only 21-years-old.