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Zhang Xiaoping of China celebrates after defeating Kenny Egan of Ireland at the men鈥檚 light heavy (81kg) final bout at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games boxing event at Worker鈥檚 Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 24, 2008. Zhang Xiaoping won the gold medal of the event. (Xinhua/Guo Yong)
China's Zhang Xiaoping won his country's second-ever Olympic Boxing gold medal in the light-heavyweight class by defeating Kenny Egan of Ireland 11-7.
The bout between Zhang and Egan was hard-fought and intense from the beginning to the end.
The first round saw the two boxers hustling each other and exchanging punches, but Zhang won the round 2-0.
The Irish boxer fought back in the next two rounds, with the boxers scoring the same amount of points in rounds, 3-3 and 2-2.
Egan was equally aggressive in the last round but Zhang, cheered on by a boisterous home crowd, landed another four stinging point-scoring punches to claim the title.
"I'm really excited," said Zhang, "before the Olympic Games, I was just a normal athlete but now I am a gold medalist. I was perfect today and did very well psychologically and physically. Throughout the Games, I fought with 100 per cent of my skills. I put myself in a low position and tried my best to fight against my opponent."
China's first boxing gold medal was won by Zou Shiming in the light-flyweight class earlier today.
Editor: Yan
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