Mirat Sarsembayev: Kazakhstan’s World Boxing Bronze Medalist
Kazakhstan’s Mirat Sarsembayev competed in the men’s flyweight tournament at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he finished equal ninth. Olympedia records his Olympic appearance and the bout results.
International medals before Beijing
Sarsembayev was born on July 13, 1986, in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan. His amateur career brought a flyweight bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in Mianyang, China, three years before his Olympic appearance.
He added the Asian flyweight championship in 2007 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. That continental gold and his earlier world bronze were separate tournament achievements, establishing a record of success beyond simply qualifying for the Games.
Other major competitions brought setbacks. Thailand’s Somjit Jongjohor defeated him in the quarterfinals of the 2006 Asian Games and again at the 2007 World Championships. Those results illustrate the depth of the international flyweight field in the years leading into Beijing.
His Olympic tournament
At the 2008 Games, Sarsembayev entered the men’s 51-kilogram category. He won his opening contest against Poland’s Rafał Kaczor before losing in the round of 16 to Russia’s Georgy Balakshin. Balakshin subsequently reached the semifinals and earned bronze.
The video above shows the meeting with Balakshin. Sarsembayev’s tied-ninth placement reflects his round-of-16 exit rather than an Olympic medal. Read alongside his 2005 world bronze and 2007 Asian gold, the Beijing result gives a more complete picture of his international career: success at world and continental championships followed by an Olympic campaign that ended before the quarterfinals.
Sources
- BoxRec: amateur championship results
- Olympedia athlete record
- Kazakhstan at Beijing 2008
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
