Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has finally received the Olympic gold medal he was controversially denied in 1988, thanks to an extraordinary gesture of sportsmanship by South Korean boxer Park Si-hun.
Jones shared a video on Wednesday showing Park visiting his ranch in Pensacola, Florida two years ago to personally hand over the light middleweight gold medal.
“I had the gold medal, but I want to give it back to you. It belongs to you,” Park said in the video, with his son translating.
Overcome with emotion, Jones covered his face and replied: “Wow, that is crazy.”
Their 1988 Seoul Olympics bout remains one of boxing’s most controversial moments. Jones appeared to dominate the fight, but Park was awarded a 3-2 decision win, sparking widespread criticism.
Despite losing the final, Jones was named the Val Barker Trophy winner as the best boxer of the 1988 Games. He later became a four-division world champion and is regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history.
“In 1988, I was robbed of the gold medal in what became one of the biggest controversies in boxing history,” Jones wrote on Instagram. “By the grace of God, a couple of years ago, the man who won that medal made the trip from South Korea to my home to return it to me, feeling it was rightfully mine. I hope you enjoy this moment as much as I did.”