The 2004 Olympic boxing tournament produced multiple future world professional champions and marked Mario Kindelán's retirement after his second lightweight gold.
Key Facts
- Venue
- Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall
- Rounds per bout
- 4 rounds of 2 minutes each
- Number of judges
- 5
- Pre-event doping exclusion
- David Munyasia (Kenya) excluded for cathine
- Notable final
- Kindelán defeated Amir Khan for lightweight gold
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
As part of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics, boxing competitions were organized exclusively for male athletes, with bouts scored in real time by five judges. Three days before the opening ceremony, Kenyan boxer David Munyasia was excluded after testing positive for cathine, reducing the field before competition began.
Boxing events were held at the Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall in west Athens. Bouts consisted of four two-minute rounds, with judges awarding points to determine winners. Cuban boxer Mario Kindelán claimed the lightweight gold in his final Olympic appearance, defeating Amir Khan in the final.
Several competitors went on to become world champions in professional boxing, including Amir Khan, Andre Ward, Gennady Golovkin, Yuriorkis Gamboa, and Guillermo Rigondeaux. Kindelán retired following the tournament, having won two Olympic lightweight gold medals. Cuban and Russian boxers largely remained amateur, supported by government funding enabling multiple Olympic campaigns.