The Cuban Arlen López, two-time Olympic champion, won by unanimous decision (5-0) against the Turkish Kaan Aykutsun during his first match in the 80 kilograms boxing category at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Tuesday.
López secured his place in the quarterfinals after winning on the judges' scorecards, although Aykutsun, just 22 years old, put up a good fight and showed skill in the art of Fistiana.
The fighter from Guantanamo, who is the champion of Tokyo 2020 and Rio de Janeiro 2016, seeks to become the fourth boxer to win the world’s main multi-sport event three times. It is worth mentioning that his fellow countryman Julio César la Cruz was pursuing the same goal but lost in his debut on French soil.
The story goes that this feat has only been accomplished by the Hungarian Laszlo Papp (1948, 1952, 1956) and the Cubans Teófilo Stevenson (1972, 1976, 1980) and Félix Savón (1992, 1996, 2000).
López and "La Sombra" will be the stars of the "Night of Champions" event, marking the return of professional boxing to the largest of the Antilles on the upcoming August 27.
The evening will bring a sumptuous menu of fights, but the main dish will be the clash between La Cruz and the Cuban nationalized Spaniard Enmanuel Reyes, while Arlen will face Aliaksei Alfiorau from Belarus.
In both cases, the belts of the International Boxing Association (IBA) will be at stake, the entity that will organize the program.
Regarding Paris 2024, the Caribbean island also has competitors, including the young athletes Alejandro Claro (51), Saydel Orta (57), and Erislandy Álvarez (63.5).
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