In decades of dry spell of gold boxing medal during the Olympics, the Chinese boxing regiment finally sees a possible breakthrough this year, led by "pirate" boxer Zou Shiming.
As the leading figure of the Chinese boxing team to fight for gold during the Beijing Olympics, Zou has many auras to his belt: runner-up in the 2003 World Boxing Championships, bronze-medalist in the 2004 Athens Olympics, winner in the 2005 World Boxing Championships and the 2007 Chicago World Boxing Championships.
Zou is famous for his "pirate boxing", moving fast to avoid heavy punches from his opponents, keeping the move during the fight, seeking the moments to punch fast and heavy, winning by points. Speed, is his stunt.
In his 48-kg category, Zou is almost king, with very few opponents in the world. However, he still needs to be careful with several powerful boxers, including Cuban Yampier Hernandez Gonzalez, a rival Zou has never fought with; his old "enemy" Filipino Harry Tanamor, runner-up of the 2007 World Boxing Championships; and two Asian boxers who have beaten him this year-- Thai Amnat Ruenroeng and Mongolian Purevdori Serdamba.
Besides Zou, the Chinese 57-kg boxer Li Yang, 69-kg Hanati Silamu, +91-kg Zhang Zhilei also bear hope and competence to strike for Olympic medals. The good defender Li Yang will have to endure cruel attacks from the 2007 world champion -- Russian Albert Selimov, and Ukrainian Vasyl Lomachenko to grab a medal.
Hanati Silamu, a 24-year-old boxer from China's Xinjiang team, runs Kazak blood in his vein. Enjoying a boxing talent plus hard training for 13 years, Silamu is now one of China's most outstanding boxers possessing both power and skill. As a bronze medalist at 2007 Chicago world championships, he will encounter world champion American Demetrius Andrade, world championship runner-up Thai Non Boonjumnong, and Cuban boxer Carlos Banteur Suarez in this Olympics.
+91-kg boxer Zhang Zhilei is another hope of China to win an Olympic medal. Thanks to his endeavour in recent years, Zhang has greatly improved his speed, resistance, tactics, and power. Also earning a bronze medal in last year's world championships, he is regarded as a powerful competitor for an Olympic boxing medal this August. However, it's not easy at all for him to win. Around him stand Roberto Cammarelle -- bronze medalist of Athens Olympic Games and last year's worlds, Cuban power Robert Alfonso Acea, and last year's world runner-up Ukrainian Vyacheslav Glazkov.