Oleksandr Khyzhniak becomes boxing champion at the 2024 Olympics!

On his second attempt, the Ukrainian boxer finally won the Olympic gold medal.

Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Khyzhniak became the Olympic champion in boxing at Paris 2024! In the final bout, Khyzhniak defeated Kazakhstan’s Nurbek Oralbay, according to Suspilne.

This was Khyzhniak’s second time reaching the Olympic final in the 80 kg weight category. In Tokyo, the Ukrainian boxer was just one step away from winning the gold medal: he was leading on points before the decisive third round but ultimately lost due to a controversial knockout.

Khyzhniak reached the 2024 Olympic final by securing three victories. In the last match, the Ukrainian boxer defeated Olympic champion Arlen López, turning the fight around after losing the first round.

Khyzhniak’s opponent, Oralbay, is the reigning world champion in the 80 kg weight category. However, in their only previous fight, which took place in February 2023, it was the Ukrainian who emerged victorious (by split decision).

How did the Khyzhniak vs. Oralbay fight unfold at the 2024 Olympics?

• Khyzhniak had an active first round against Oralbay, frequently attacking the Kazakh boxer. However, he only received a minimal advantage from the judges (3-2 in favor of Oralbay).
• After the second round, the scores were completely evened out. The judges gave a slight edge to Oralbay (2-3) despite Khyzhniak continuing to box aggressively.
• At the beginning of the third round, Oralbay received medical assistance due to a nosebleed. Despite this, the Kazakh boxer continued the fight.
• Khyzhniak outboxed Oralbay in terms of the number of punches in the third round. In the end, he won by a split decision of the judges!

Khyzhniak became the fifth Ukrainian to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. The last time this was achieved was in 2012 by Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk.

All Ukrainian Olympic Boxing Champions

• Volodymir Klitschko (1996) — over 91 kg
• Vasyl Lomachenko (2008) — up to 57 kg; (2012) — up to 60 kg
• Oleksandr Usyk (2012) — up to 91 kg
• Oleksandr Khyzhniak (2024) — up to 80 kg

After winning the gold, Khyzhniak gave his first exclusive interview to Suspilne Sport during his performances at the Paris Games. In it, the Ukrainian boxer thanked everyone involved for their help in achieving the goal he set for himself after earning silver at the Tokyo Games.

On the emotions of winning Olympic Gold in 2024

“I feel immense joy and gratitude to God for this medal. It is the medal I lived for up until these Olympic Games. I thank God that I am an Olympic champion. I am endlessly grateful to our soldiers who, at the cost of their own lives, protect peace and tranquility in my country. I want to thank my father, who helped me reach this gold medal. This is our shared reward. I am grateful to my wife, who believed in me and never for a second doubted that we would succeed. I thank my family, my city, the Ukrainian people, and everyone around the world who supported me.”

On which opponent at the 2024 Olympics was the most difficult

“Whenever I am asked about the fights at the Olympic Games, which opponent was the most difficult, at these or previous ones, I can say that it is difficult to compare fights at the Olympics with other competitions. Looking at the first fight at the Olympics in Paris, which was very valuable for me, and the last one, it may seem that they are different, and I am in different shape. But they are very valuable to me, and I am very happy. I thank God that I was able to win. I am glad that I won all my fights at these competitions. I’m proud to represent Ukraine at the Olympic Games and bring gold to my city and country.”

On more active third rounds at the 2024 Olympics

“I am grateful that my coach is my father. We live with him, 24 hours a day at competitions, at training camps, we constantly spend time together. He gives me advice on how to conduct this match better, which combinations would be better against one or another opponent. I want to thank my father for the fact that all this way, from fight to fight, from attack to counterattack, every second we worked out and analyzed with him.”

On whether he plans to turn to professional boxing

“This award will probably open new doors in my life. I can’t say whether it’s professional boxing or whether I’ll continue my journey as an amateur. It takes time. I will return home, spend time with my family, and only then will I decide how I would like to continue my life.”

Do you have a desire to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics?

“I was asked many times by professionals and amateurs. Until now, I have answered the same way: my main goal was the Olympic Games and the gold medal in Paris. I didn’t consider whether it would be professionals or amateurs – all this time there was only one goal – the Olympics in Paris.”

On his thoughts during the award ceremony

“When I was standing on the podium and the anthem was playing, I remembered all this way: all the training, all the work, my life. When I woke up, I fell asleep. I had only one thought: “gold” at the Olympics. And when the flag of Ukraine was raised… I love my country, I love everything in my country: the land, the water, the air. Wherever I go to any country, I am always drawn to Ukraine, it is the best. And when the flag of Ukraine was raised, I thanked God that at the highest competitions the flag was raised, the anthem was played, and many people sang it. It was very valuable to me, and it was hard to hold back my tears. I felt it with every cell of my body, these emotions were passing through me.”

What the Olympics mean to Khyzhnyak

“Of course, these competitions are very important and valuable. And this particular victory is valuable, given the conditions in which we were preparing, how difficult it was. It was a special competition for me, because of the amount of work, stress, and conditions in our country. I am very grateful to our military, who are a great example for me, as they are defending peace and tranquility in our country at the cost of their own lives. That’s why these competitions were really important and valuable for me, as well as the victory.”

Tags: sport Ukraine