Welterweight (63-69 kilograms), Men

Despite the elimination of the light-welterweight division for Tokyo, the changes in weight categories made minimal difference to the welterweight class.

The 2019 World Championship finalists Pat McCormack and Andrey Zamkovoy were seeded first and second with the British fighter top ranked as a result of a win at the European qualifying event.

The first favoured fighter to fall was the veteran Cuban-born Azeri Lorenzo Sotomayor, a victim of a cut above the eye in his bout with Madiev of Georgia. In contrast, McCormack and Zamkovoy reached the semi-finals with a minimum of fuss. They were joined in the final four by Roniel Iglesias of Cuba, the 2012 light-welterweight gold medallist, and surprise contender Aidan Walsh of Ireland.

Sadly for Walsh, his prospects were ended at his moment of triumph. Celebrating his quarter-final victory, he jumped for joy as his win was confirmed but landed awkwardly and fractured his ankle, causing him to withdraw from the tournament.

The second semi-final saw the 33-year-old Iglesias, thought by most to be passed his best at his fourth Olympics, regain all the glories that seemed to be in the past for him. Using his foot speed and unerring accuracy, he outboxed and cut the Russian to build up an early lead which Zamkovoy could not overhaul.

Iglesias’s resurgence continued unabated in the final. Once again, he jumped out to an early lead and, while McCormack had some success in the final round, the Cuban’s gold medal victory was beyond doubt. Apart from golden triumphs in 2012 and 2021, Iglesias had also won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics.