Mario Kindelan
Cuba
Boxing
Overall Ranks
#3 among Boxers
#1 among Cuban Olympians
Olympic Results
2000
Lightweight - Gold
2004
Lightweight - Gold
Total
Events - 2
Gold - 2
Mario Cesar Kindelan Mesa was born on August 10, 1971 in Holguin, Cuba, and began boxing at a young age, then began boxing in international tournaments in 1993, winning the Caribbean Games title that year. He went on to win his first World Championship in 1999, which was near the beginning of a winning streak that lasted more than 5 years.
He entered his first Olympics in 2000 as a big favorite in the lightweight division, having won every major tournament in the past 2 years, and he won all 4 of his bouts easily, including a TKO in the second round and a 14-4 domination in the gold medal match.
He didn't lose a single match between the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, including World Championship victories in 2001 and 2003, plus wins at the Goodwill Games and the Pan Am Games. He was already a heavy favorite heading into Athens when he got more good news: the silver medalist from the 2003 World Championships did not qualify for the Olympics.
His path to the gold medal match in 2004 was extremely smooth. After a first round TKO, he won each of his next three bouts by double digits, setting up a showdown with Amir Khan, a 17-year-old British phenom who had been just as dominant so far. The match was the closest that Kindelan faced in 2004, but he still won handily, 30-22, taking his second Olympic gold.
He retired right after that match, with his 5-year winning streak intact. Turning pro is frowned upon in Cuba, so he never had any earnings from his boxing career, and years later, he attempted to sell his 2004 gold medal, but Khan stepped up and gave him $5000 and told him to keep the medal. Though he only competed in the Olympics twice, he won every bout easily, making him one of the greatest Olympians of all time.
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