KIEV: Undisputed world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (pictured) of Ukraine has said he wants to compete at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported yesterday.
“I hope that international amateur boxing’s ruling body will be kind to me, and that I will have enough health and motivation to perform at the Olympics in two years time,” the agency quoted the 38-year-old champion, who won gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, as saying.
Klitschko said he spoke to his former coach, Emanuel Steward, during the 2012 London Olympic games and he had encouraged him to box again in Rio. Steward subsequently died in October of that year.
“I already have an Olympic title and it would be terrific to repeat this experience 20 years later.”
On Sunday Klitschko defended his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in Oberhausen, Germany, in his 25th world title fight knocking out Australian challenger Alex Leapai after two minutes, five seconds of the fifth round.
REUTERS
