Quick Facts
Biography
Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo (born August 14, 1988) is a Cuban amateur boxer, best known for winning the junior world title at lightweight in 2006, a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing and a gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Career
In 2005, Iglesias won the national (senior) flyweight title as a 16-year-old when Olympic champion Yuriorkis Gamboa was out injured, he beat future two-time champ Yoandri Salinas and then Karel Luis in the final. However, the more experienced Andry Laffita who had competed at junior flyweight was sent to the world championships.
In 2006, he competed in January at the national (senior) championships at bantamweight and lost in the semifinal to Idel Torriente, in September he had put on 6 more kilograms and won his world title at lightweight in Agadir, Morocco. In the quarterfinals he beat Éverton Lopes and then Kazach Azamat Smagulov in the final.
In 2007 he lost at the national senior championships to world champ Yordenis Ugás at lightweight.
In 2008 he won the junior welter national senior championship, he beat Richard Poll 12:9 in the final and was sent to the Olympic qualifier in Trinidad where he beat another teenager Javier Molina in the semifinal to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics where he lost his semi to defending champion Manus Boonjumnong.
In 2009 he lost in the final of the national championships to former lightweight star Yordenis Ugás 9:12 but was sent to
the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships anyway where he won against the youngster Frankie Gomez.In the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Iglesias won the gold medal by defeating Denys Berinchyk from Ukraine by a score of 22-15.
Results
Beijing 2008 Olympic results
- Defeated Mahaman Smaila (Cameroon) 15-1
- Defeated Driss Moussaid (Morocco) 15-4
- Defeated Gennady Kovalev (Russia) 5-2
- Lost to Manus Boonjumnong (Thailand) 5-10
London 2012 Olympic results
- Defeated Cesar Villarraga Aldana (Colombia) 20-9
- Defeated Everton Dos Santos Lopes (Brazil) 18-15
- Defeated Uktamjon Rahmonov (Uzbekistan) 21-15
- Defeated Vincenzo Mangiacapre (Italy) 15-8
- Defeated Denys Berinchyk (Ukraine) 22-15