Heavyweight (≤91 kilograms), Men

After a decade as undisputedly the best amateur heavyweight in the world it was the age restrictions set in place by the AIBA that eventually dethroned Félix Savón rather than any opponent. Though Savon had retired Cuba still remained in a strong position with a top contender in the shape of his successor Odlanier Solís. Solis and his main rival, [Aleksandr Alekseyev] of Russia, had the misfortune to be drawn together in the first round of the Olympic tournament and when the Cuban outpointed his opponent in a rematch of the previous year’s world final his hardest task had already been achieved.

He pummelled his next two opponents into submission before earning a clear points decision over Viktor Zuyev of Belarus to clinch the gold medal.

Solis was another of the horde of top Cuban fighters to defect when he, along with fellow Olympic champions Yan Barthelemí and Yuriorkis Gamboa slipped away from a training camp in Venezuela in late 2006. Basing himself in Germany, he won 17 successive professional fights before he lost an attempt on the world heavyweight title which was ended by a freak knee injury.