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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
SportChina

Tokyo Olympics: China’s Li Qian to fight for middleweight boxing gold after unanimous decision win

  • Li sets up a gold medal clash against Great Britain’s Lauren Price on Sunday
  • Chinese fighter sweeps each round with all five judges, has not dropped one in Tokyo

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China’s Li Qian celebrates after winning her quarter-final bout against India’s Pooja Rani. Photo: AFP
Paul Rydingin Tokyo
Chinese middleweight Li Qian will fight for a Tokyo 2020 gold medal after overcoming the Russian Olympic Committee’s Zemfira Magomedalieva in their semi-final clash at the Kokugikan Arena on Friday.

Li dominated her 33-year-old opponent, a two-time world amateur champion at light-heavyweight and heavyweight, with superior ring craft during a largely untidy fight.

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Gold medals galore for China at Olympics as athletes struggle with stifling heat in Tokyo

Gold medals galore for China at Olympics as athletes struggle with stifling heat in Tokyo

Li was handed the fight by a unanimous judges’ decision, with all five judges awarding the Henan native each of the three rounds.

China is yet to win a boxing medal at these Games, though they are now guaranteed two silvers at least, when 31-year-old Li appears in the final and her teammate, Gu Hong, contests the welterweight final on Saturday.

Zemfira Magomedalieva of Team ROC exchanges with China’s Qian Li. Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images
Zemfira Magomedalieva of Team ROC exchanges with China’s Qian Li. Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images

It was a scrappy encounter, evidenced by both fighters being penalised for repeated holding in the second round, but Li was able to display enough of her superior technique to get the decision.

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