Alexander defeated two-time Olympic champion and secured at least “silver” Games in Paris.
Ukrainian boxer Alexander Khizhnyak reached the final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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In the semi-final fight in the weight category up to 80 kg, “Poltava Tank” defeated Cuban boxer Arlen Lopez, who is a two-time Olympic champion (2016, 2020), by a split decision.
The fight turned out to be extremely difficult for the Ukrainian boxer. Alexander lost the first round on the judges' scorecards (1:4), but then took the second three minutes (3:2). In the final third round, all five judges gave the victory to Khiznyak (5:0) – the Ukrainian snatched a ticket to the final.
This was Khizhnyak's third fight at the 2024 Olympics. At the start, he knocked out Ukrainian native Filip Akilov, who represented Hungary. In the quarterfinals, Alexander defeated Brazilian Vanderlei Pereira.
In the final, Khizhnyak will box with Nurbek Oralbay from Kazakhstan. The fight for the “gold” will take place on Wednesday, August 7.
Khizhnyak is a silver medalist at the 2020 Olympics. At the Tokyo Games, he competed in the 75 kg weight category and lost by knockout in the final, missing out on a chance to win a gold medal.
Khizhnyak is the only one of the three Ukrainian boxers who will finish the 2024 Olympics with a medal. Earlier at the start of the competition, Dmitry Lovchinsky lost by knockout, and Ayder Abduraimov lost by unanimous decision.
As of now, Ukraine has three medals in its collection at the 2024 Olympic Games: Olga Kharlan won bronze in individual sabre, and together with Elena Kravatskaya, Alina Komashchuk and Yulia Bakastovoy, she won gold in the team. In addition, Sergey Kulish won silver in shooting.
Ukraine is represented at the XXXIII Summer Olympics by 140 athletes who compete in 23 sports. The Games in Paris will last until August 11.
All the most interesting events of the Olympics can be found in the line of the Ukrainian licensed bookmaker Favbet.