Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men

Three times a world champion in three different weight categories, Adolfo Horta’s chances of adding Olympic gold to the silver he won in Moscow were ruined in both 1984 and 1988 by the decision of Cuba to boycott the Games. Such was the strength of Cuban lightweight boxing that, even as reigning world champion, he may have been overlooked for the Olympics in favour of Julio González.

With Cuba absent, Andreas Zülow, a world bronze medalist representing East Germany, emerged to become Olympic champion. Zülow’s only scare came at the third round stage where he faced the Soviet Union’s Kostya Tszyu. The German won though by the smallest possible margin – the preferential vote of a judge whose scorecard was even while the other four judges split evenly in their opinions. He was then untroubled in his final three bouts.

This was Zülow’s only major championships victory although he did reach the finals of the 1989 World Championships and 1991 European Championships. He tried and failed to capture another Olympic title, this time at a higher weight category, in Barcelona.