Savon on course for third gold

Sebastian Kober: Lasted the distance with Savon

Felix Savon reached his third successive Olympic boxing final after an easy win over Germany's Sebastian Kober on Thursday.

The massive Cuban will now face Russia's Sultanhamed Ibzagimov in the final as he bids to win his third gold medal.

Six-times world champion Savon, who beat world champion Michael Bennett of the United States in the quarter-finals, won his semi-final 14-8 without ever looking at his best.

Ibzagimov beat Georgian Vladimir Tchantouria 19-4. Tchantouria and Kober both get bronze medals.

Lethargic

Savon, looking to emulate countryman Teofilo Stevenson's haul of three Olympic heavyweight golds in a row between 1972 and 1980, overcame a lethargic start to end the first round 2-1 up.

Kober scored the first point of the bout with a left jab after 49 seconds but that was the only time he was ahead.

The tall Cuban careered backwards into a corner post during the second round after coming out of a clinch off-balance but led that round 9-3.

His coach Alcides Sagarra urged him to keep his distance and to keep it steady, and Savon obeyed orders.

But Savon's work was not as precise as usual and he received a strong talking to from Sagarra in between the third and fourth rounds.