While you were sleeping
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BEIJING — The Olympic sport that brought you such U.S. gold medalists as Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali (when he was still known as Cassius Clay), Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, the Spinks brothers and Oscar De La Hoya now brings you ... no one.
The United States’ last chance for a gold medal in boxing ended with a 7-1 semifinal loss Friday by Deontay Wilder of Tuscaloosa, Ala., to Italy’s Clemente Russo.
The United States, which has won more boxing gold medals (48) than any other country had its last real success in 1988 when it won three titles, and would have won another if Roy Jones Jr. hadn’t been robbed. That’s not a biased opinion but a fact later acknowledged by the International Olympic Committee.
Since, the United States has won three gold medals total. De La Hoya won in 1992.
A trivia question: Who won the other two? (Answer below.)
USA Boxing, the governing body, is in such disarray today that promoters who used to launch young boxers based on their Olympic success now advise them to bolt from the amateurs as soon as possible and turn professional.
So we’re seeing a lot of U.S. fighters in the Olympics who will be filling up professional undercards at rings near you in the future. Someone has to do it.
(Trivia answer: David Reid, 1996; Andre Ward, 2004.)
Elsewhere:
(All times PDT)
10:50 p.m. (Thursday) The U.S. men’s indoor volleyball team, riding on emotion after the stabbing death not quite two weeks ago of the coach’s father-in-law, advanced to the finals with a 7-0 record, beating Russia, 25-22, 25-21, 25-27, 22-25, 15-13. The United States came from three points behind in each of the first two sets to win, then had to hold on.
4:42 a.m. Steven Lopez of Sugar Land, Texas, became the third member of his family in two days to win a taekwondo medal. He took the bronze with a 3-2 victory over Azerbaijan’s Rashad Ahmadov in the 80-kilogram class. Lopez’ brother, Mark, won silver and his sister, Diana, won bronze on Thursday.
5:54 a.m. The U.S. men’s water polo team advanced to the final with a 10-5 victory over Serbia. Tony Azevedo of Long Beach scored three goals and Merrill Moses of Palos Verdes had a remarkable 16 saves.
6:08 a.m. Cuba hit four home runs and routed the United States, 10-2, in the baseball semifinal. Bring back Tommy Lasorda!
7:01 a.m. The Lakers’ Pau Gasol scored 19 points as Spain beat Lithuania, 91-86, and advanced to the championship game -- against the winner of the U.S.-Argentina semifinal, which is starting now.
7:09 a.m. Bryan Clay of Azusa Pacific won the decathlon, becoming the first U.S. gold medalist since Dan O’Brien in 1996.
7:30 a.m. Wake up, smell the Rou Gui oolong tea!
Now playing: U.S. vs. Argentina men’s basketball semifinal.
-- Randy Harvey