Busenaz Sürmeneli wins Turkey’s first-ever boxing gold at Olympics Saturday by defeating China's Gu Hong at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday.
Sürmeneli won the final 3:0 with two even scorecards after a bout filled with holding and awkward exchanges. They were caused almost completely by Gu, whose awkward, hold-heavy style confounded opponents on her way to silver.
Gu was docked a point early in the second round for holding. Sürmeneli battered Gu late in the second round with the power and athleticism that made her arguably the most impressive fighter in the 100-woman Tokyo field.
An emotional Sürmeneli collapsed to the floor and banged the canvas when her victory was announced, before dissolving into tears.
Gu took silver, while Lovlina Borgohain of India and Oshae Jones of the United States both won bronze medals as losing semifinalists.
Previously, Turkish boxer Buse Naz Çakıroğlu won the silver medal in women's flyweight boxing after losing to Bulgaria's Stoyka Krasteva in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
A two-time bantamweight runner-up in world championships, 35-year-old Krasteva finally got her gold, showing her experience across the three rounds to deny Çakıroğlu, 10 years her junior, Turkey's first-ever boxing Olympic title.
Çakıroğlu lost the final 5:0, but still won Turkey’s third-ever silver medal in boxing and sixth medal overall.
Teammate Busenaz Surmeneli has another shot at Turkey’s first boxing gold in the welterweight final later Saturday.
Women's boxing made its debut at the London 2012 Games, when there were only three weight categories. There are five in Tokyo.
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