Thursday 18 August 2016 19:08, UK
Russia's Vladimir Nikitin has withdrawn from his Olympic Games semi-final due to injuries caused in his previous bout against Ireland’s Michael Conlan, it has been confirmed.
Nikitin was the beneficiary of a controversial unanimous decision on Tuesday despite Conlan re-injuring a pre-existing a cut, and opening several more wounds on his face.
The decision was the latest in a slew of dubious calls at Rio 2016 that resulted in some judges and referees being sent home.
"Further examinations showed that the injury suffered by our boxer Vladimir Nikitin is too serious," said Igor Kazikov, head of the Russian delegation at the Games, quoted on the Russian Olympic Committee Twitter feed.
"Unfortunately, he won't be able to compete."
He was scheduled to fight the United States' Shakur Stevenson - who has signed to Floyd Mayweather's Money Team - on Thursday but will no longer fulfil that obligation.
Nikitin will nonetheless earn a bronze medal, along with the loser of the other semi-final between Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana and Uzbekistan's Murodjon Akhmadaliev. Stevenson will earn a bye into the final to challenge for gold.
