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UPDATE (8:36 p.m. EDT): Team USA is back, as Errol Spence has won an appeal, and will move on to the quarterfinals on August 7.
Team USA is fully eliminated from the 2012 Olympic games in men's boxing, after what was a disgraceful decision today in the welterweight division.
[ 8/3 Morning Results: Flyweight / Welterweight ]
[ 8/3 Afternoon Results: Flyweight ]
Krishan Vikas (India) def. Errol Spence (United States), 13-11: I don't really have the words for this one. This was a 100%, pure robbery, and everyone knows it, and Vikas knew it, too. Vikas was in survival mode the third round, and Spence not only won that round, he frankly shouldn't have been down one going INTO the round, either, which he was, 9-8. This may have been the worst decision of these Olympics. Team USA are now eliminated, which would have been one thing if Krishan Vikas beat Errol Spence. I have been fine with MOST of our losses. The Gausha decision I thought was questionable at first, and after re-watching it, I thought Terrell definitely should have won that one. But even that pales in comparison to this.
Somehow, the judges managed to give the third round to Vikas. These officials do whatever the hell they want, and if you're down going into round three, you might as well leave. This was a complete travesty of justice. Team USA could protest, but it won't do any good. AIBA, which makes me yearn for the pro sanctioning bodies, does whatever they want and would dismiss it in a heartbeat.
Also, remember the Germany referee who was suspended for five days after the Iran-Cuba DQ? He was a judge for this fight.
I've got little more to say about the fights this afternoon. I'm going to finish out everything, and I'll talk about tomorrow's fights just fine until the next disgrace comes along, but right now, I just don't have it in me. I'm going to stew for the rest of the afternoon. Here are the other welterweight results this afternoon, after the jump.
Andrey Zamkovoy (Russia) def. Adam Nolan (Ireland), 18-9: Really wasn't competitive. The Russian moves on to face Errol Spence Krishan Vikas ERROL SPENCE.
Gabriel Maestre (Venezuela) def. Siphiwe Lusizi (South Africa), 18-13: Maestre had a huge second round to take the lead. They must have wanted him to win. Otherwise I'm sure that round would have been 7-7 or something.
Serik Sapiyev (Kazakhstan) def. Yasuhiro Suzuki (Japan), 25-11: This was totally one-sided but the Japanese fighter really tried his heart out. If he hadn't it would have been stopped in the first or early second.