THE SIDELINES : Boxing Victories Move S. Korea to 2nd in Asian Games Medals

South Korea fought its way to five boxing titles and one in wrestling today, moving into second place behind China and ahead of Japan in the Asian Games gold medal race.

While South Korea’s haul fell well short of its sweep of all 12 boxing golds in the 1986 Games, it boosted the country’s total to 42 golds, ahead of Japan’s 37.

South Korea also had one gold in track, but suffered a blow in soccer, losing its semifinal match to Iran 1-0. North Korea advanced to the soccer final by blanking Thailand 1-0 in a game marked by several scuffles.

Iran, meanwhile, won three wrestling golds, its first golds in these Games.

China boosted its gold medal total to 155 by adding 10--seven in track and field, one in women’s epee team fencing, one in the Chinese martial art of wushu and one in boxing--a sport it had banned for 28 years. The Chinese had six boxers in the finals, to South Korea’s seven.

In total medals, China led with 294, to 154 for Japan, 152 for South Korea and 68 for North Korea, which had 12 golds.

In the most exciting race on the track, Qatari runner Mohammed Sulaiman shot from behind in the last 15 meters to win his second Asian Games gold medal--by one-hundredth of a second in a 5,000-meter race.