China struck gold on home turf during the 2008 Olympic Games with a history-making boxing boom.
On the hot afternoon of Aug 24, 2008, at the Beijing Workers' Gymnasium, China closed its Olympic show with two golds, one silver and one bronze in the square ring.
The Asian Giant smashed the trio of Cuba, Russia and the United States, any of whom had ruled the tally table in boxing at every Olympics since 1942.
Cuba bagged eight total medals — four silvers, four bronzes yet no golds. Russia leveled China in golds, but trailed by one silver on the table. The once towering United States ended up with no gold, no silver and merely a single bronze.
With two golds, one silver and one bronze, China emerged as the new king in the amateur boxing world.
Being the host nation could be a double-edged sword, for the expectation of performing on home soil would be way above the norm. The pressure had to be measured against the boost from the local media, as witnessed by Chinese shooter Du Li's failure to win the first gold medal of the Games.
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