Japanese boxer Ryo Murata won a close Olympic middleweight final Saturday to take gold.
A two-point warning for holding proved decisive, costing Murata’s Brazilian opponent Esquiva Falcao Florentino the gold medal in a match that Murata won 14-13.
Murata went into the final round 9-8 ahead after taking the first round 5-3 and losing the second 5-4.
Despite the Brazilian landing some heavy shots in the final, the warning for persistent holding meant the third round finished even at 5-5, giving Murata just enough to win.
The bout was a rematch of the semifinal at last year’s world championships, where Murata beat the Brazilian 24-11 on his way to the silver medal, while Falcao Florentino was forced to settle for bronze.
Britain’s Anthony Ogogo and Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan won bronze in the men’s Olympic middleweight boxing Friday after losing their semifinals.
Ogogo was attempting to emulate the gold medal-winning success of fellow Briton James DeGale at middleweight in Beijing four years ago, but lost 16-9 to Falcao Florentino.
Murata won a close fight 13-12 against Uzbekistan’s Abbos Atoev after losing the first two rounds.
Falcao Florentino’s brother Yamaguchi lost his light heavyweight bronze medal bout Friday to Russia’s Yegor Mekhontsev.
