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The A.I.B.A. nominated 42 referees and judges from 18 countries. Finland's small share was 2 referees and 2 judges. BOXING Referees worked competently on the whole. Differences of opinion between several of the judges unfortunately led to decisions which aroused dissatisfaction and in the opinion of In all 44 countries sent 240 boxers to compete in the new weights, ten instead of the former experts were mistaken. In its memorandum the A.I.B.A. attributes this to incompetence, eight, ordered by the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur. The record number but some judges gave grounds for allegations of downright partiality. of entries was in part due to the larger number of weights. It is to be noted, however, that Under the A.I.B.A. rules in force no competitor was entitled to two successive walkovers. more countries were represented than ever before. Newcomers to the Olympic boxing This rule compelled new draws in two weights. As luck would have it, the Swedish heavy­ ring were the U.S.S.R., Bulgaria, the Saar, Yugoslavia, Venezuela and Vietnam. weight Johansson and the flyweight Mazumdar of India, after drawing byes in the first As recommended by the A.I.B.A., Gold and Silver Medals only were awarded. The round would have gone on without a bout from the second through retirement of their losers in the semi-finals were not, as previously, matched for Bronze Medals; instead, both opponents. In the bantamweight class a new draw had to be made after the weigh-in because were awarded diplomas. Their national flags were also hoisted at Victory Ceremonies. This of an error in a record. decision in regard to medals afterwards gave rise to criticism. Seeing that there were three Medal-winners in the 1948 Games who competed again in Helsinki were Julius Torma medals for all other sports, the exception made in the case of boxing was felt to be not in (Czechoslovakia) welterweight winner in London, Laszlô Papp (Hungary) middleweight harmony with the whole. The A.I.B.A. certainly meant well, the idea being to spare tired winner, Soo An Han (Korea) third in the flyweight, Aleksy Antkiewicz (Poland) third boxers the strain of an extra bout. in the featherweight, and Giacomo di Segni (Italy) third in the heavyweight class. Of The bouts were held in the big Messuhalli Hall. They began on Monday July 28th and these, Papp repeated his Gold Medal and Antkiewicz improved on his Bronze Medal by went on for six days. During the first four days bouts were staged both in the day-time and carrying off a Silver. Torma was put out of the running in his third round bout by the evening concurrently in two rings. On the fifth day a single ring was in use in the day-time ultimate Gold Medallist Chychla of Poland with a split verdict. Soo An Hoo, too, lost and evening. The finals were on Saturday evening in one ring. The total number of his third bout, and so did di Segni, who met his fate in the winner of his weight Edgar boxing occasions was thus eleven. Sanders. The distribution of the bouts over the competion days is shown in the analysis. A good deal of the boxing in the preliminary rounds was of the inaccurate, blind-rushing type, monotonously directed to getting in a heavy punch. The standard improved as the contests went on. The great majority of those who reached the semi-finals were swift, The Boxing Competitions in the XV OlympicGames intelligent boxers with a range of technique at their command. Order of Bouts Decisions The flyweight winner was the Cleveland undergraduate Nate Brooks, aged 18. His hardest Date Hour Ring Bouts 3—0 2—1 T.k.o. K.o. Disq. Walkover bout was with the Rumanian Dobrescu in the third round. The judges split in Brooks's favour. William Toweel of South Africa, who had shown excellent form, was unable in 28.7 14.00 A M 7 5 1 1 B 13 7 4 1 — 1 the semi-finals to challenge the American, having injured his hand. The German Edgar 19.30 A 14 6 4 2 2 — B I Basel reached the final after gaining a 2—1 verdict over the Russian Anatolij Bulakov in 5 7 4 3 1 — — his semi-final bout. The Brooks—Basel bout was a clear win for Brooks. Among the best 29.7 14.00 A 18 3 7 4 4 B 17 10 2 1 1 3 in this weight, besides those mentioned, were D. W. Dower of Great Britain, who lost by a 19.30 A 16 6 1 3 3 1 2 B 16 8 5 2 1 — — split verdict to Bulakov in a third round bout, A. Asuncion of the Philippines, whom Toweel 30.7 14.00 A 12 11 1 _ defeated 2—1 in a very close contest, and Risto Luukkonen of Finland, who put up a good B 11 7 4 — — — show against Brooks in the preliminary round. 19.30 A 12 4 3 2 2 1 B 12 5 3 — 2 1 1 The bantamweight final between the Finn Pentti Hâmàlâinen and the Irishman John 31-7 14.00 A 10 5 5 McNally raised enthusiasm in the hall to a climax. Hâmàlâinen, the shorter of the two, B 10 7 2 1 — 19.30 A 10 7 1 — 2 — attacked indefatigably, giving the Irishman, who favoured long-range boxing, no opportu­ B 10 2 1 1 5 1 - nity for an exchange of punches on equal terms. Hâmâlâinen was declared the winner, the 1.8 14.00 A 10 5 3 2 judging again going 2—1. Before the final, McNally had defeated Joon Ho Kang of Korea I 0 9-3 A 10 6 2 1 — 1 — and the Italian European Champion Vincenzo Dall'osso. Hâmâlâinen's opponent in his semi­ 2.8 19.30 A 10 4 4 — 1 1 — final was the tall Russian Garbuzov. In this bout the Finn was overwhelmingly superior. 240 120 62 22 ID 21 5 Boxers who with better luck in the draws might have gone on to the semi-final stage were 396 397 Source : Bibliothèque du CIO / IOC Library going to Sergei Scherbakov of the U.S.S.R. Chychla gained a 2—1 verdict in his third round bout with the Czech Torma, who had won this weight in London, similarly in his semi-final against Heidemann of Germany. Scherbakov defeated the Dane Jorgensen in his semi-final. Laszlô Papp won his second Gold Medal in the light-middleweight class in convincing fashion. The hardest resistance came from the coloured American boxer Ellsworth Webb in the very first bout, and then in the semi-finals from Eladio Herrera of the Argentine. Papp's opponent in the final was the South African Theunis J. van Schalkwyk, who inflicted a crushing defeat on Boris Tishin of the U.S.S.R. in his semi-final. In the final Papp scored repeatedly in every round over the South African, whose defence was too open. There was never any doubt as to how the bout would end. The most phenomenal boxer, however, and most overwhelming victor, was a youth of seventeen, the coloured American middleweight Floyd Patterson. Only his first opponent, Omar Tebbaka of France, lasted all three rounds. All the others fell to this agile youth and his amazing reach before the final gong. The final Patterson—Tita (Rumania) was the shortest in modern Olympic boxing, ending in 42 seconds in a knockout. The light-heavyweight Gold Medal went to Norvel Lee, originally chosen for the American team as a heavyweight reserve. When, however, the boxer who was to have represented the Vat ter son ducks under Tebbakà's glove. U.S.A. in this weight, Spiesser, fell ill in Helsinki, Lee reduced his weight six kilos and took Spiesser's place. He gave a brilliant display of boxing based on skill and brains, and Jean Renard (Belgium), Thomas G. Nicholls (Great Britain) and Helmuth von Gravenitz not one of his opponents ever looked like imperilling his victory. This weight had attracted (South Africa). the smallest number of entries — 18. Lee's opponent in the final was Antonio Pacenza The featherweight bouts were those in which the opinions of the judges clashed oftenest. (Argentine), who lost all three rounds. In the semi-finals Lee blocked the way for the Finn Out of the 29 bouts 10 led to split verdicts. Jàn Zachara of Czechoslovakia gained the Harry Siljander. The other semi-finalist was Anatolij Perov (U.S.S.R.). Gold Medal after winning his last three bouts 2—1. The greatest disagreement was in regard In the heavyweight class not a single one of the American Edgar Sanders's opponents to the semi-final bout between Zachara and Ventaja (France). The other finalist, too, Sergio stood up to him all three rounds, not even the technically skilful Andries Nieman of South Caprari of Italy, scored a disputed 2—1 victory over Leonard Leisching of South Africa Africa in the semi-finals. His opponent in the final was Ingemar Johansson of Sweden, who in his semi-final. Earlier, Caprari had beaten the Finn Pentti Niinivuori, also 2—1. Small had gained a 2—1 verdict over the Finn Ilkka Koski in the semi-finals. Obviously afraid of wonder, therefore, that the final between Zachara and Caprari ended in a split verdict. the American's hard punches the Swede resorted to wholly passive and evading tactics.

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