Ward saves the day for U.S. boxers

ATHENS — In the second-to-last fight, on the final day of the Olympics, light heavyweight Andre Ward rescued U.S. boxing.

Five days after upsetting Russia’s Evgeny Makarenko, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold-medal favorite, Ward showcased his superstar potential by coming from behind to beat Magomed Aripgadjiev of Belarus, 20-13.

Trailing 9-7 after two rounds, Ward capitalized on his speed and controlled the bout in the final two rounds. The victory was the U.S. team’s lone gold, and its first since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

“With this victory, I think it’ll definitely lift the spirits a little bit, because we have a lot of young guys coming up,” Ward said. “I hope that USA boxing will be a powerhouse in the amateur game, and I hope that starting in 2008, we’ll start being respected again, like we used to be in 1976, 1988 and 1984.”

The days of U.S. domination are largely over. Andre Dirrell’s bronze and Ward’s gold put the U.S. near the bottom of the boxing medal list, tied with the likes of Azerbaijan and Germany. Meanwhile, Cuba won eight medals (five of them gold), Russia finished with six and Thailand, Kazakhstan and Egypt each had three.

Ward clearly has the makings of a bankable pro. He was usually the smaller fighter in his bouts at light heavyweight, but he used his exceptional foot and hand speed to rack up points.

Ward said a thumb to his right eye at the end of the second was all he needed.

“This was the gold-medal contest and I decided it was up to me to pick things up and use this chance,” Ward said. “This was not my best performance but the dog in me made me tough it out.”

“It was a hard contest and my opponent was very good,” Aripgadjiev said. “He was quicker than me and more accurate.”

During the medal ceremony, Ward blew a kiss skyward, in honor of his father, Frank, who died in 2002.

Ward isn’t sure of his plans. But he’ll return to his wife and two children, who are living with his trainer and godfather, Virgil Hill, in Oakland, Calif.

“I’ve been away from my family for awhile, I haven’t seen home in two or three months,” Ward added. “That takes a toll on you. But it was worth it.”