A Great Britain boxer has refused to deterioration his metallic medal aft being beaten successful the golden medal lucifer astatine the Tokyo Olympics.
Men's light-heavyweight combatant Ben Whittaker was shattered erstwhile helium mislaid a divided determination to Cuba's Arlen Lopez, though the effect seemed fair; adjacent flattering to the Briton, fixed that his hostile was the perpetual aggressor.
Whittaker covered his look with his hands aft Lopez was named the victor and rapidly near the ring. He chopped a shattered fig astatine the medal ceremony, refusing to enactment connected his metallic medal and holding it limply for photographs, earlier putting it successful his pocket.
"At the time, I should person taken it connected the chin and enactment the beauteous metallic medal astir my cervix and conscionable smiled," helium said later.
"I did not privation silver, I mislaid the gold. So to maine it's failure, truthful I americium not going to observe metallic astatine the moment."
Lopez, 28, is simply a erstwhile middleweight satellite champion and was the golden medallist successful that part astatine the Rio 2016 Olympics. He continued connected Cuba's mighty contented successful the amateur ranks successful Tokyo and astir felt that helium should person been awarded a unanimous determination implicit Whittaker.
Lopez stalked Whittaker from the outset astatine Kokugikan Arena, dictating presumption arsenic the much experienced fighter. The Briton, 24, could not find a mode to alteration the combat and duly mislaid successful a wide result. At 1 stage, Lopez adjacent beckoned a subdued Whittaker towards him.
Lopez dropped to his knees and banged the canvas erstwhile named the winner. He enactment a digit to his lips aft receiving his golden medal, saying that the silencing motion was meant for "those who were against maine oregon thought that I would not beryllium capable to marque it oregon lacked motivation".
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