BEIJING, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Demetrius Andrade became the first American boxer to reach the Olympic quarterfinals Thursday with a victory in the welterweight division.
Andrade recorded an impressive 14-3 decision over Andrey Balanov of Russia to set up a quarterfinal bout Sunday against Kim Jung-joo South Korea.
Quarterfinalists were determined in the light-welterweight, welterweight and light-heavyweight divisions Thursday and Andrade was the only American in action. The United States has five boxers remaining in the Olympics.
The always-powerful Cuban team, meanwhile, ran its record to 11-1 by putting two boxers in the quarterfinals.
Carlos Banteaux recorded a 13-6 decision over Billy Joe Saunders of Britain in the welterweight class and Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo was a 15-4 winner over Driss Moussaid of Morocco in the light-welterweight division.
Cuba didn't have a light-heavyweight boxer entered in the Olympics and super-heavyweight Robert Alfonso was the first Cuban to lose when he dropped a decision Wednesday to Vyacheslav Glazkov of Ukraine.
Also reaching the quarterfinals in the welterweight division were Hosam Abdin of Egypt, Toureano Johnson of the Bahamas, Hanati Silamu of China, Bakhyt Sarsekbayev of Kazakhstan and Dilshod Mahmudov of Uzbekistan.
If Andrade and Banteaux continue to win, it would set up a United States-Cuba gold medal bout.
