An extraordinary momentum of Fair-Play. In a video published this Wednesday, September 3, on the Youtube channel of the American boxer Roy Jones Jr. but shot in 2023 on Wednesday, September 3, the latter was given the Olympic gold medal on the part of his opponent Park Si-Hun, 35 years after their controversial final at the Olympic Games in 1988. It was largely accepted that Roy Jones Jr. had easily dominated his opponent during this fight, but South Korean, who disputed this home meeting, had been declared a winner. This fight was one of the most controversial in the history of boxing.
“I had the gold medal, but I want to give it back to you. She belongs to you ”, concedes Park Si-Hun in the video through his son, who translates his remarks, before returning the precious charm to the American boxer. The sportsman, overwhelmed by emotion, hides his face with the hand and ends up blowing: “Wow is crazy.” Roy Jones Jr. was not aware of this historic exchange: when he went to his gym in Pensacola in Florida, on May 30, 2023, the boxer thought is filmed for a routine interview. “This gold medal is now your problem”, Simply park Si-Hun, laughing.
“In 1988, I was deprived of the gold medal in what has become one of the greatest controversies in the history of boxing”, wrote Roy Jones Jr. in a post on Instagram at the time of the publication of the video. “By the grace of God, a few years ago, the man who won this medal made the trip from South Korea to my home to return it to me, believing that it belonged to me by right. I hope you enjoy this moment as much as I am ”, he added, before teaser the possible release of a documentary on his life and on “The resilience of the human mind”.
In an interview with the Associated Press in 2020, Park Si-Hun had confided in depression after the numerous criticisms on the unfair result of the fight-until sometimes feeling suicidal desires. “I can’t stop thinking about the fact that my life would have been happier if I had finished second,” he said.
A year later, the South Korean boxer had announced to Times that he wanted to give the medal to Roy Jones JR, but that he was waiting for the approval of the International Olympic Committee (CIO). His American competitor had said he would be «idiot» Not to accept this gesture, and that the IOC had to modify the record, as Park Si-Hun had itself suggested.
The IOC had opened up an investigation into the allegations of corruption towards the referees, but had concluded in 1997 not having found any evidence. The American Olympic Committee had claimed this investigation a year earlier, after documents belonging to the Stasi, the secret police of East Germany, revealed that judges had received payments to vote in favor of South Korean boxers.
Despite his defeat against Park Si-Hun, Roy Jones Jr. had been appointed winner of the Val Barker trophy, rewarding the best boxer of the 1988 Olympic Games. He then became professional world champion in four different categories and is considered one of the best boxers of all time.
