Tokyo 2020 results (Day 7, Morning): Three advance for GB, USA loses another, Khataev keeps dominating, more

Great Britain is having another strong showing at the Olympics, plus two Russian Olympic Committee boxers continue to dominate, including the surprising Imam Khataev.

Women’s lightweight

• Kellie Harrington (Ireland) def. Rebecca Nicoli (Italy), 5:0: Harrington another top seed whose debut in Tokyo showed just why she’s the top seed. Nicoli is a decent fighter, but she had very little to trouble Harrington, who is hoping to follow in Katie Taylor’s Olympic footsteps and win gold for Ireland in this division. Harrington, like Taylor, doesn’t necessarily do anything that makes you go, “Wow!” and leap off your chair. She’s just very sound, fights with discipline and doesn’t make mistakes. This one one third round card going to Nicoli away from being a true sweep.
• Imane Khelif (Algeria) def. Mariem Homrani (Tunisia), 5:0: Khelif dominated the first, Homrani really didn’t land anything, and then won four cards in the second round, too, so she was through there, basically. The judges also gave her the third which was probably Homrani’s best round.

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• Caroline Dubois (Great Britain) def. Rashida Ellis (United States), 3:0:2: Another Team USA fighter falls, and it’s a fair result. It was a close fight but if I had to pick one, I’d have chosen Dubois. Two judges had it level (Ellis lost a point in the third for a foul), three had it for Dubois, who looks a solid fighter, not flawless but has some obvious skills, and when she moves around and uses her footwork, can be frustrating. A tough outcome for Ellis, who has said she’ll probably turn pro, following brothers Ronald and Rashidi. (Caroline is also the sister of Daniel Dubois.)
• Sudaporn Seesondee (Thailand) def. Simranjit Kaur (India), 5:0: Thought the first was pretty competitive, but Seesondee won every card. Then Seesondee definitely, clearly won the second. And it was basically over there, Kaur had no realistic route to victory and didn’t find one.

Women’s welterweight (Quarterfinals)

Winners guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

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• Busenaz Surmeneli (Turkey) def. Anna Lysenko (Ukraine), 5:0: Dominance again from top seed Surmeneli. She has an aggressive style, but it’s not without skill. And since she’s so good at being aggressive and not making silly mistakes — she isn’t reckless — she has an ability to overwhelm opponents and basically lock them up. She’s fun to watch as well as being good, and Lysenko couldn’t get anything done here.
• Lovlina Borgohain (India) def. Nien-chin Chen (Chinese Taipei), 4:1: Borgohain gets through with a mature, steady performance, Chen’s clumsiness on offense proving her downfall as much as anything, probably. Borgohain is guaranteed bronze, and in all honesty that’s probably what she’s getting. Hard to see her matching up too well with Surmeneli.

Men’s welterweight (Quarterfinals)

Winners guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

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• Pat McCormack (Great Britain) def. Bobo-Usmon Baturov (Uzbekistan), 4:1: McCormack definitely the classier boxer here, and not without his own scrappiness, but Baturov really made him work, got aggressive (and needed to), and caused a cut on a clash of heads in the third round, which McCormack then basically had to make sure didn’t get worse for the last couple minutes.
• Aidan Walsh (Ireland) def. Merven Clair (Mauritius), 4:1: You might not really call Walsh “dominant” here, but he was slick and elusive enough that Clair didn’t land much of note at all. Walsh has a tough matchup with McCormack, who seems to have more gears in his game than Clair does, but the Irish fighter is guaranteed at least bronze, and his style makes him tricky for anyone when he’s on his game.

Men’s light heavyweight (Quarterfinals)

Winners guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

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• Imam Khataev (Russian Olympic Committee) def. Gazimagomedov Jalidov (Spain), KO: Khataev has been an absolute blast to watch in Tokyo. He stopped his opponent in the round of 32, sent top seed Bekzad Nurdauletov packing in the round of 16, and overpowered Jalidov here, busting his nose in the first round and forcing a standing eight in the second. He’s been a bruiser, a powerhouse, forces guys to stand in the pocket at times, but also isn’t useless of the back foot or anything. He took his foot off the gas in the third as he was well ahead, but did enough to not risk 10-8s sinking him, and then, WHAM! He landed a brutal shot that put Jalidov down just before the fight would have ended, and it was stopped there.
• Ben Whittaker (Great Britain) def. Keno Machado (Brazil), 3:2: Whittaker just sneaks past Machado. Personally, I thought Whittaker won the first two, and Machado the third, but the judges saw it more as Whittaker in the first and third and Machado in the second, so what do I know? Anyway, listen, Khataev-Whittaker is about as fascinating a style clash as you can get in the Olympics. Whittaker a long, tall, lanky stylist with some cockiness. Khataev just all business, a powerhouse, stocky, powerful build and a power puncher. That one could really be something.

Men’s heavyweight (Quarterfinals)

Winners guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

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• Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (Russian Olympic Committee) def. Ammar Riad Abduljabbar (Germany), 5:0: There are for sure dangers lurking in the bottom half of the draw, but the top seed Gadzhimagomedov looks like the clear class of the top half. Abduljabbar was tough, game, tried to find ways to make this happen, but it was not happening. The Russian just too good and too skilled. You really have to respect Abduljabbar’s effort and spirit here, though, and his respect for Gadzhimagomedov after it was over.
• David Nyika (New Zealand) def. Uladzislau Smiahlikau (Belarus), : Nyika opened up a cut in a bad spot on Smiahlikau in the first round, but the Belarus fighter stayed in it. He never quite got a rhythm going, though, and Nyika was consistent and steady in his attack, and didn’t get hit with a lot. He was up clear on every card after two and didn’t do anything silly in the third. He’s a skilled boxer, he’s got bronze at least guaranteed, and he’s a bigger threat to Gadzhimagomedov than the Russian has faced in his first two bouts. This was a very nice performance from Nyika.