Cuba win boxing Gold again as distraught Briton refuses to wear Silver

Thursday, 5 August 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Gold medallist Cuba's Arlen Lopez celebrates with his medal on the podium

TOKYO (AFP): Cuba’s Arlen Lopez won his second Olympic Gold medal yesterday as he taught Ben Whittaker a boxing lesson in Tokyo – the disconsolate Briton refusing to wear his Silver medal and putting it instead in his pocket.

The 28-year-old Lopez was the aggressor throughout but he was surprisingly only a split-points winner in the final of the men's light-heavyweight.

Lopez, who won middleweight Gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, fell to his knees and banged on the floor when he was named the victor, while Whittaker quickly left the ring with his hands over his face.

After receiving his Gold medal, Lopez put his fingers to his lips, a gesture he said was towards “those who were against me or thought that I would not be able to make it or lacked motivation”.

His delight was in stark contrast to the 24-year-old Whittaker, who cut a devastated figure at the medal ceremony, trudging to the podium with his hands in his pockets and placing his medal in his tracksuit pocket rather than around his neck.