Navarro Makes Quarterfinals

Jose Navarro boxed his way into the Olympic flyweight quarterfinals, and this time his father saw it.

With his father and older brother, Carlos Jr., cheering him on, the 19-year-old Navarro scored half of his points in the fourth round for a 12-9 decision over Hicham Mesbahi of Morocco at 112 pounds today.

Ricardo Williams also won, stopping Olusegon Ajose of Nigeria on the 15-point rule, 21-6, in the fourth round at 139 pounds to give the United States seven boxers in the quarterfinals. So far, eight Cubans have reached the quarterfinals.

A fifth American was eliminated when Army sergeant Olanda Anderson, who drew a first-round bye, was beaten, 13-12, at 178 pounds when Rudolf Kraj of Czech Republic landed a scoring blow with three seconds left.

When the Navarro decision was announced, Mesbahi threw up his hands, fell to his knees and pounded the canvas. There were boos.

“I knew I was behind by one point in the last round and I had no choice but to go out there and just throw,” said Navarro, who trailed, 7-6, after three rounds. “I knew I had to step it up a lot. It’s just and experience for me. I’m going to learn a lot from this fight, as I do from every fight.”

Navarro’s father had missed his son’s opening-round win because he missed a plane in Los Angeles.

Rocky Juarez, the 125-pound world champion from Houston, outpointed Falk Huste of Germany, 17-15, and set up a quarterfinal showdown Wednesday against Somluck Kamsing of Thailand, the Olympic gold medalist at the 1996 Olympics. Kamsing beat Tulkunbay Turgunov of Ubesistan, 6-2.

Jermain Taylor of Little Rock, Ark., pounded out a 23-9 decision over Scott McIntosh of Canada at 156 pounds.

Then super heavyweight Calvin Brock of Charlotte, N.C., became the fourth U.S. boxer to lose. He took a standing eight-count, was knocked down and stopped in the fourth round on the 15-point rule, 21-5, by Paolo Vidoz of Italy, a bronze medalist at the 1999 world championships.

Brock was simply outclassed in the last two rounds.

The 20-year-old Juarez, who beat Huste, 12-6, in the quarterfinals at the world championships last year in Houston, clinched his victory this time with a scoring blow late in the fourth round for a 17-14 lead.

Juarez led by three points four times during the fast-paced four rounds, but never for very long. Each boxer got a couple of points for body blows. In some bouts, judges have ignored punches to body.

The 22-year-old Taylor clinched his match against McIntosh by outscoring the Canadian, 11-3, in the third round. He will box Adnan Catic of Germany in the quarterfinals.