1976 Olympics (Montreal, Canada) Many had stated, that the Canadian Boxing Team was 'the sleeper' in the Tournament. Loaded with talent and experienced boxers. Light-Flyweight * Sidney McKnight, a 21 year-old and Pre-Olympic Tournament Silver Medal winner, and 'projected medal winner', was blasted out (L KO 1) to North Korean Li Byung-Uk in the First Round. Li Byung-Uk went on to the Finals, where he won a Silver Medal. Flyweight * Ian Clyde, a 'highly touted' 20 year-old and Pre-Olympic Tournament Silver Medal Winner, and 'projected medal winner', made it the Quarter-Finals, where he was defeated by a close, but Unanimous Decision (L Dec 5:0) to Cuban Ramon Duvalon. Ramon Duvalon went on to the Finals, where he won a Silver Medal. Bantamweight * Christopher Ius, a 22 year-old and another 'highly touted boxer' was 'Upset' in the Third Round by Decision (L Dec 5:0) Thailand's Weerchart Saturngrun. Weerchart lost in the Quarter-Finals to eventual Silver Medal Winner North Korea's Gu Yong-Ju. Featherweight * Camille Huard, a 24 year-old experienced amateur, was projected as a Medal Winner. But, in the Third Round he was defeated (L Dec 5:0) by Leszek Kosepowski of Poland. Leszek Kosepowski made it to the Semi-Finals, and was a Bronze Medal winner. * Camille Huard had won the Silver Medal, at the Pre-Olympic Tournament only 7-Months earlier. Lightweight * Cleveland Denny, who competed for Canada in 1975, and was the Canadian National Amateur Champion, decided to represent his home-country of Guyana in the 1976 Olympics. * Mike Griffith, who was the Canadian Lightweight Runner-Up, was eliminated in the Pre-Olympic Tournament, and Canada did not have a Lightweight representative. Light-Welterweight * Chris Clarke, '19 year-old Super-Talent' and one of the Top Amateur 139 lb. boxers in the World, gets 'Upset' in the Third Round (L KO 3) to Hungary's Jozsef Nagy. Jozsef Nagy loses in the Quarter-Finals. * Chris Clarke had won the Gold Medal at the 1975 Pan American Games at Lightweight. Welterweight * Carmen Rinke, a 22 year-old 'power-plug', who was the Pre-Olympic Tournament Bronze Medal Winner. Another 'projected' medal winner. Lost a 'close' Decision (L Dec 5:0) to East German Jochen Bachfeld in the Quarter-Finals. Jochen Bachfeld went on to win the Gold Medal. Light-Middleweight * Michael Prevost, 23 year-old Multi-Canadian Champion, and 1975 Pan American Games Silver Medal winner. An excellent veteran amateur boxer, and projected 'medal winner'. In the First Round, loses by Disqualification (L Disq. 3) to Romanian Vasile Didea, after being warned numerous times for holding, by an Australian Referee. Vasile Didea made it to the Quarter-Finals. Middleweight * Bryan Gibson, 28 year-old veteran amateur. Another Silver Medal winner at the Pre-Olympic Tournament. Was considered to be the 'Upset Specialist' in the Middleweight Division at the Olympics. Bryan gets stopped (L KO 3) by East German Bernd Wittenburg in the First Round. Light-Heavyweight * Roger Fortin, 24 year-old 'surprise entrant', lost in the First Round (L Dec 5:0) to (USSR) Anatoliy Klimanov. Anatoliy Klimanov lost (L Dec 5:0) in the Quarter-Finals to (USA) Leon Spinks. Heavyweight * Francis Jeanveau, the 21 year-old Canadian National Amateur Champion, a 195 lb. boxer with minimal experience, was eliminated at the Pre-Olympic Tournament. Canada did not have a Heavyweight re[resentative at the 1976 Olympics.
1976 Canadian Boxing Team at the 1976 Olympics (Montreal, Canada). Overall performance, can be considered a 'major flop'. Not one Medal, and only 'two boxers' made it to the Quarter-Finals. * Flyweight; Ian Clyde * Welterweight; Carmen Rinke
Mike, Willie Featherstone was only 17 at the time of the 1976 Olympics. Not sure what weight he was fighting at, back then, or where his ranking was.
one needs to compare the performance with all the past teams for a better evaluation. Of course won would argue that the 1984 performance should be discounted.
Willie had a great career winning the Canadian and British Commonwealth Titles and fighting Virgil Hill for the World title.Now resides in Scarborough,I believe.A very humble guy.
Not sure if anyone remembers 'Hurricane' Eddie Melo The 'Cobra-Quick' Light-Middleweight from Toronto. Turned professional at age 17 1/2, in March 1978. By the end of the 1978, was 12-0-0 (10 KO's), and The Golden Boy of Canadian Boxing. Boxing Illustrated did an article about him, and there was talk of getting Ray Leonard to come up to Montreal, to fight Eddie in a 'Light-Middleweight' bout for early-1979. [url] This content is protected [/url]
Didn't Eddie Melo have some "outside business interests" that led to his demise, or am I mistaking him for someone else from the Great White North, Pepe?
'Hurricane' Eddie Melo,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,turned into a 'Bad Seed' The kid had all the talent in the world, and a right-hand that could pulverize anybody in the 154 lb. Division. He lost focus, and soon was gone.
Follow-up of some of the Canadian boxers of 1976: * SID MCKNIGHT, is a nominee for the 2013 British Columbia Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame and an Inductee of the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame. * IAN CLYDE, is one of the most respected Canadian amateur boxers of all time, he is an Inductee of the Ontario Amateur Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012, and effective January 1, 2013, he will be one of 55 selected from across Canada and throughout the decades for a spot on the CANADIAN AMATEUR BOXING WALL OF FAME. * CHRIS IUS, is a 2010 core member inductee of the BRITISH COLUMBIA AMATEUR BOXING HALL OF FAME. * CAMILLE HUARD will be one of the special 55 in the Canadian Amateur Boxing Wall of Fame 01/01/13. * BRYAN GIBSON will be one of the special 55 in the Canadian Amateur Boxing Wall of Fame 01/01/13 The complete list of that group of 55 will be posted soon.
Sadly,Eddie was assassinated outside a Mississauga sports cafe parking lot.He,along with his cousin were gunned down.Such a waste,but he chose a tough career outside the ring.
