U.S. Boxers Lose in Finals

S Y D N E Y, Australia, Oct. 1 -- American boxers will go home from an Olympics without a gold medal for the first time since 1948.

They didn’t exit quietly, though, officially protesting thatinept refereeing cost world 125-pound champion Rocky Juarez a goldmedal.

The International Amateur Boxing Association allowed thedecision to stand but suspended referee Stanislav Kirsanov ofRussia for four years. U.S. officials had asked for the suspensionas part of their protest.

In another disputed bout, Ricardo Williams Jr., of Cincinnati,the only other U.S. finalist, lost 27-20 to Abdullaev Mahamadkadyzof Uzbekistan in the 139-pound final today.

“Ricardo Williams was scoring and not getting points,” saidTom Mustin, head coach of the U.S. team. “Rocky couldn’t scorebecause they were holding him.”

While U.S. officials believed Williams won, they did not protestthe decision.

“We thought Ricardo won the fight, but we didn’t want it tosound like sour grapes,” U.S. team manager Gary Toney said.

IOC Official Thought Juarez Won

Juarez, of Houston, lost 22-14 to a clutching, grabbing BekzalSattakhanov of Kazakstan at 125 pounds. The defeat snapped the20-year-old Juarez’s winning streak at 68 bouts over two years.

Juarez charged that Sattakhanov was communicating with Kirsanov.

“It wasn’t until the third round when I hear this guy say aword,” Juarez said. “The fighter would look at the referee andtell him a specific word. I knew something was going on then andthere.”

One IOC member watching the bouts thought the Americans won.

“To me this is a scandal, the two Americans who lost should nothave lost,” said Gerhard Heiberg of Norway, who opposes boxing’spresence in the Olympics. “I’m not a favorite of the UnitedStates, but this cannot be allowed to stand.”

Holding Tactics Criticized

The losses left U.S. boxers with two silver and two bronzemedals, two fewer medals than they won in Atlanta four years agoand one more than they got in 1992.