Lutalo Muhammad in Olympic Games -80kg taekwondo final
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 20/08/16 3:08am
Team GB's Lutalo Muhammad will fight for gold in the Olympic Games -80kg men's taekwondo tournament in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The bronze medallist from London 2012 beat Azerbaijan's Milad Beigi Harchegani to reach the final, where he will meet Cheick Sallah Cisse of the Ivory Coast.
Muhammad had an easy start to his day in Carioca Arena 3 as he stopped Australia's Hayder Shkara by points gap after taking a 14-0 lead.
His quarter-final clash was much tougher as he drew veteran American Steven Lopez, winner of the gold medals in 2000 and 2004, but Muhammad again impressed in claiming a 9-2 win.
Harchegani looked another tough test, but Muhammad proved up to it, taking a 1-0 lead at the end of a cagey opening round and extending that to 5-1 with a head kick in the second.
His only trouble in the final two minutes were penalty points as he gave up three points to Harchegani, but a pair of quick head kicks put paid to any thoughts of a late comeback.
Cisse edged a tough encounter with Tunisia's Oussama Oueslati 7-6.
