Olympic Boxing Profile: Saken Bibossinov

In the third of a series of profiles leading up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, we are taking a look at some of the world’s elite boxers who will be competing at the biggest sporting event of the world this month. Here is Kazakhstan flyweight boxer Saken Bibossinov, who is one of the best flyweight boxers, and is a serious gold medal contender.

Olympic Bronze Medalist

At the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, Bibossinov won one of eight Olympic bronze medals for Kazakhstan. In the men’s 52 kilogram division, Bibossinov defeated Yankiel Rivera of Puerto Rico 4-1 in the first round, Billal Bennama of France 5-0 in the second round, and Gabriel Escobar of Spain 3-0 in the quarterfinals.

World Champion

At the 2021 Amateur International Boxing Association World Boxing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Bibossinov won the gold medal. He defeated Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan 5-0 in the first round, Deepak Bhoria of India 5-0 in the second round, Yuberjen Martinez of Colombia 3-0 in the quarterfinals, Thanarat Saengphet of Thailand 4-1 in the semifinals, and Roscoe Hill of the United States 5-0 in the gold medal match. The first round win over Dusmatov was significant because Dusmatov won the gold medal in the men’s light flyweight boxing division (men’s 49 kilogram) at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It should be noted that the men’s light flyweight boxing division is no longer on the Olympic stage.

Kazakhstan success in Olympic Boxing

Kazakhstan has won 71 medals in the history of the Olympic Summer Games, of which 24 medals have come in boxing. In fact, of Kazakhstan’s 14 gold medals at the Olympic Summer Games, seven have been in the boxing ring. The seven Kazakhstan gold medalists in Olympic boxing have been Vassily Jirov in the men’s light heavyweight division at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta; Bekzat Sattarkhanov in the men’s featherweight division and Yermakhan Ibraimov in the men’s light middleweight division at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney; Bakhtiyar Artayev in the men’s welterweight division at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens; Bakhyt Sarsekbayev in the men’s welterweight division at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing; Serik Sapiyev in the men’s welterweight division at the 2012 Olympic Games in London; and Daniyar Yeleussinov in the the men’s welterweight division at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.