Cuban boxing prodigy Argilagos secures first Olympic medal

Brilliant Cuban light flyweight Joahnys Argilagos underlined his rich potential as he became the first boxer at the Rio Olympics into the semi-finals to guarantee at least a bronze medal on Wednesday. The 19-year-old prodigy and world champion had Kenya's Peter Warui running around in circles on his way to a unanimous points decision, as Cuba extended their ominous perfect start. Cuba, with its rich boxing heritage, is among the most successful countries in Olympic boxing history and strongly fancied to do well again in Rio. Julio Cesar La Cruz, a three-time world amateur light heavyweight champion with spectacularly graceful movement across the ring, was equally emphatic in a unanimous points victory over the hopelessly outclassed Mehmet Unal of Turkey. Argilagos displayed the full array of his electric footwork, at one point ducking a haymaker from Warui, whose momentum took him tumbling into the ropes. The Cuban merely grinned back at his opponent and later delivered a sucker-punch while appearing to look in the opposite direction. Argilagos faces Colombian Yurberjen Martinez -- who he has trained with in the past -- in the semis on Friday, after he defeated Samuel Carmona Heredia of Spain on a split points decision. "I felt more confident than in my first fight," said Argilagos, after delivering one of the most impressive displays in Rio to date. "I knew I was going to bring joy to Cuba and I stuck to my tactical masterplan." "The Colombian is going to be a very tough rival," added Argilagos, also a former youth world champion and one of the hottest prospects around. "We have never fought but we have trained together and I know that he has some good weapons." Martinez made his own small piece of history, with his bronze meaning Colombia has its first medal in Olympic boxing in 44 years. "I cannot talk about the emotion. I wanted to give this joy to my Colombian people and thank God for giving it to me," he said. "Now I will concentrate on improving on bronze." La Cruz, 26, picked Unal off at will and appeared to barely break sweat in a one-sided demolition to surge into the quarter-finals. Cuba have won five fights out of five.