Amir Can't

Britain's Amir Khan has failed in his attempt to become the youngest Olympic boxing champion since American Floyd Patterson in Helsinki in 1952, losing to Cuban maestro Mario Cesar Kindelan Mesa 30-22 in the lightweight (57-60kg) division final today.

Like his hero, Mohammed Ali, Khan floated like a butterfly, and he tried his best to sting like a bee. However, like a bee, his stings became his own undoing as he was picked off time and again by Kindelan's fierce counter swats.

Khan led 4-3 after the first round, but the defending champion then found his range to take a 14-9 lead at the half way stage.

One round later Khan was 22-14 down, but even then the young man from Bolton did not give up and landed a number of good punches in an even final round.

33-year-old Kindelan, perhaps the greatest of a long line of great Cuban amateur boxers, had not been beaten in any competition since 1999, winning three world titles in that time. He also won gold in the lightweight division in Sydney. He now retires undefeated.

"He's the best boxer I've seen in a long time," Khan told the BBC afterwards. "It's a shame I didn't beat him, but I tried my best and I thought I did well. It could have gone either way, but I don't control the judges.

"I was very calm because I was up against the Olympic champion; I had nothing to lose. I think I did Britain proud. I'm confident I can take the gold in Beijing."

Whether Khan actually gets the chance to fulfil that prophecy is open to question as the boxing promoters circle around him, offering him huge rewards to turn professional immediately.

Kindelan's victory took Cuba's tally of boxing golds in Athens to a remarkable five.

Earlier, Yan Bhartelemy Varela beat another 17-year-old, Atagun Yalcinkaya of Turkey, in the light flyweight division (under 48kg) by 21 points to 16.

Like Khan, Yalcinkaya mounted a brave challenge and led 4-2 on points after the opening round, but Bhartelemy's skills and greater experience eventually gave him control.

Cuba then followed up with yet another gold in the bantamweight (51-54kg) division, as defending champion Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz outclassed his Thai challenger Worapoj Petchkoom. The Caribbean led after every round and, by the end, Petchkoom appeared to be resigned to the silver. The 23-year-old southpaw won 22-13.

Immediately following the Khan fight, Lorenzo Aragon Armenteros failed to make it six golds for Cuba when he lost out to Kazakhstan's Bakhtiyar Artayev 36-26 in the 64-69kg division final.

However, Cuba's golden final morning continued in the freestyle wrestling. Yandro Miguel Quintana trimphed in the men's 55-60kg division final, taking his country's gold count to nine: that same as that of Great Britain. Cuba now lies in tenth place on the medals table, one place behind Team GB.