Olympics | Chang wins China's first-ever Olympic women's boxing gold at Paris 2024

Chang Yuan (in red) of China is announced the winner of the women's boxing 54kg final against Hatice Akbas of Türkiye at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

Chang Yuan won the women's 54kg boxing gold, becoming China's first female Olympic champion in the sport, while Li Qian advanced to women's 75kg final, and Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan secured men's 51kg gold at Paris 2024.

PARIS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's boxer Chang Yuan secured the women's 54kg gold at the Paris Olympic Games here on Thursday night in a clear unanimous decision against Turkey's Hatice Akbas.

Chang's gold represents China's first-ever Olympic women's boxing title.

In a tentative opening round, Chang, perhaps wary of her opponent's longer reach, lacked a little of the volume that she had shown in her previous bouts. However, Chang used her double jab to open up, and Akbas began to pay dividends for her powerful left.

Chang began to throw more punches in bunches in the second round to secure consecutive rounds. Once again, Chang expertly used her jab to slice through Akbas's defense for her sharp inside boxing. The Turk struggled to cope with the pressure, resorting to clinches to try and halt Chang's momentum.

Chang Yuan (in red) of China competes against Hatice Akbas of Türkiye during the women's boxing 54kg final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

In the third bout, it was more of the same, as Chang began to increase her volume and expose the gulf in class between the two. After her name was called as the winner, Chang was hoisted into the air by her coach as the Chinese contingent in the crowd celebrated with her.

In a women's 75kg semifinal, China's Li Qian came from a round down against Australia's Caitlin Parker to win by unanimous decision. The Chinese started slow and allowed Parker to get inside her range and score big in the first round. However, Li came back with a vengeance in the second round as she started to land from the outside and used her footwork and head movement to avoid the Australian's counterpunches. Li continued her momentum through the third round and maintained her superior accuracy to book her place in the gold medal bout.

Li will face Panama's Atheyna Bylon in the final, after she defeated Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba of the Olympic Refugee team in a split decision 4-1.

Billal Bennama of France (in red) competes against Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan during the men's boxing 51kg final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao)

In the men's 51kg final, Hasanboy Dusmatov won Uzbekistan's second boxing gold, beating France's Billal Bennama by unanimous decision. Backed by an ear drum-bursting rendition of La Marseillaise, the height difference between the two fighters was apparent, with the French No. 1 seed towering over his Uzbek foe.

Yet, it was Dusmatov who came out on top marginally on three of the judges' scorecards. In the second bout, the French fighter struggled to catch Dusmatov on entry as the Uzbek's superior head movement started to produce gaps in Bennama's defense. With the momentum firmly with Dusmatov at the start of the final bout, the Uzbek continued to exploit the body of Bennama to leave openings upstairs for slick hooks.

At the start of the night in the men's 57kg semifinals, Abdumalik Khalokov thoroughly outclassed Australia's Charlie Senior in a unanimous decision. The Uzbek fighter effectively won every single bout on nearly every scorecard. Khalokov will face Kyrgyzstan's Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu, who defeated Bulgaria's Javier Ibanez Diaz in a scrappy bout via split decision 4-1.