Zou Shiming

Zou Shiming sometimes written "Zou Shi ming" or "Zhou Shi Ming" (鄒市明, born May 18, 1981 in Zunyi) is the most successful amateur boxer from the People's Republic of China winning two world titles in 2005 and 2007 at Light flyweight (-48 kg) division.

Career

2003 at the World Championhips, Zou upset Cuban 2001 defending world champ Yan Bartelemí Varela, a southpaw, in Bangkok, but lost the final to Russian Sergey Kazakov.

He won bronze at the 2004 Olympics, beating 17-year old American southpaw Rau'shee Warren but losing the rematch to Bartelemí Varela.

In 2005, he won the World Championships in his home country in Mianyang, defeating Hungarian Pal Bedak in the finals, the first Chinese boxer to do so.

In the 2006 Asian Games he won the title, defeating
Thailand's Suban Pannon, 21-1 in the final match. [ [http://www.doha-2006.com/gis/SPORTS/BX/IGBXBoutResult.aspx?rscid=0-048-1-01-00001-1 Light flyweight final results] ]

In 2007, he repeated his World Championship triumph beating Russian David Ayrapetyan 23-6 early and Harry Tanamor from the Philippines in the finals. He won silver medal from the 2007 Asian Championship Game, losing the final bout against Mongolian Pürevdorjiin Serdamba.

In the 2008 Olympic Games, he won China's 50th gold medal by winning the final light flyweight boxing event and it was China's first boxing gold medal in Olympic history. His opponent in the final bout was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury. After his opponent Serdamba was not able to continue the bout, Zou burst into tears. It was anticipated that young Pürevdorjiin Serdamba's recent success against 27 year old Zou was the biggest obstacle for Chinese boxing.

2004 Olympic Results

*Defeated Rau'shee Warren (United States) 22-9
*Defeated Endalkachew Kebede (Ethiopia) 31-8
*Defeated Redouane Asloum (France) 20-12
*Lost to Yan Bhartelemy Varela (Cuba) 17-29

2008 Olympic Results

*Defeated Eduard Bermudez Salas (Venezuela) 11-2
*Defeated Nordine Oubaali (France) 3-3 (Zou won on countback)
*Defeated Birzhan Zhakypov (Kazakhstan) 9-4
*Defeated Patrick Barnes (Ireland) 15-0
*Technical win against Pürevdorjiin Serdamba (Mongolia) 1-0 (Pürevdorjiin Serdamba was forced to retire due to shoulder injury)

World Amateur championship results

2003 (in Bangkok)
*Defeated Yan Barthelemy (Cuba) 22-15
*Defeated Rudolf Dydi (Slovakia) 21-9
*Defeated Harry Tanamor (Philippines) 21-13
*Lost to Sergey Kazakov (Russia) 19-23

2005 (in Mianyang, People's Republic of China)
*Defeated Łukasz Maszczyk (Poland) 18-10
*Defeated Salim Basriev Salimov (Bulgaria) 22-9
*Defeated Yan Bhartelemy Varela (Cuba) 12-10
*Defeated Sherali Dostiev (Tajikistan) 18-13
*Defeated Bedak Pal (Hungary) 31-13

2007 (in Chicago)
*Defeated Constantin Paraschiv (Romania) 15-3
*Defeated Birzhan Zhakypov (Kazakhstan) 30-13
*Defeated David Ayrapetyan (Russia) 23-6
*Defeated Patrick Barnes (Ireland) 22-8
*Defeated Nordine Oubaali (France) 16-1
*Defeated Harry Tanamor (Philippines) 17-3

External links

* [http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1819129_1819134_1825736,00.html "Zhou Shiming"] , n°20 on "Time"’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"
* [http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/04/080204fa_fact_osnos "The Boxing Rebellion"] , in "The New Yorker - Feb 4th, 2008

References