The German Boxing Federation (DBV) has secured two medals at the U19 European Championships in Loznica. Tonight, Justin Kiz will compete for the European title.
The German Boxing Federation (DBV) is guaranteed two medals at the U19 European Championships in Loznica, Serbia. Justin Kiz has advanced to the final in the 75-kg weight class following a convincing semifinal victory and will compete for the European title today, Friday. Dietrich Hermann will finish the European Championships with a bronze medal after being eliminated in the semifinals of the 80-kg weight class.
At the European Championships—which featured a strong field of 354 boxers from 35 nations—the German team had qualified a total of five athletes for the quarterfinals.
Kiz fights his way to the European Championship final
Justin Kiz continued to show his strong form even in the decisive phase of the tournament. In the quarterfinals, the German 75-kg boxer faced Dzhan Fikret of Bulgaria. After a close bout, Kiz stepped up his performance over the course of the three rounds and ultimately prevailed by a 3–2 decision. This secured the first medal for the German team.
In the semifinals, Kostiantyn Halytskyi of Ukraine presented the next challenging opponent. Kiz consistently exploited his reach advantage, controlled the fight with a strong lead hand, and kept his opponent at a distance for long stretches. Throughout all three rounds, he consistently executed his tactical plan and won the semifinal by a unanimous decision of 5–0.
This means Kiz has advanced to the final of the U19 European Championships and is guaranteed at least the silver medal. Today, Friday, the boxer from BR 46 Knielingen will face Kirill Shinkar of Russia in the gold medal match. Shinkar defeated Andrei Novik of Belarus 4–1 in his semifinal. The 75-kg final is the third bout of the evening’s program, which begins at 8:00 p.m.
Bronze for Dietrich Hermann
Dietrich Hermann also put on a strong showing at the European Championships in Loznica. In the quarterfinals of the 80-kg division, he faced a rematch of the Danas Pozniakas Tournament final against the Armenian European champion Samvel Siramargyan. Hermann had already defeated the Armenian in Lithuania and prevailed once again. After a tactical first round, the German boxer increasingly made use of his reach and lead hand, winning the quarterfinal bout 4–1 on points. With this victory, Hermann secured Germany’s second medal of these European Championships.
In addition to Kiz and Hermann, three other German boxers—Yanis Heger (-70 kg), Yoan Hernandez (-90 kg), and Ahmed Abdulgamidov (+90 kg)—had fought their way into the quarterfinals but were eliminated there.
“It was the tough and challenging European Championship we expected,” said Andreas Schulze, the head national youth coach, ahead of the final day of competition. “With five quarterfinalists, we would of course have liked to win one or two more medals. At the same time, the team has shown that there is a great deal of potential here, which we intend to continue developing in the coming years.”
The matches will be broadcast live on the Serbian Boxing Federation’s YouTube channel.
Text: Press Release / German Boxing Federation