Domenico Valentino Athlete

Domenico Valentino (born 17 May 1984 in Marcianise) is a boxer from Italy. The hard punching Valentino won a bronze medal at lightweight at the 2004 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Pula, Croatia. He participated in the 2004 Summer Olympics. There he was stopped in the quarterfinals of the Lightweight (60 kg) division by Kazakhstan's eventual bronze medalist Serik Yeleuov. At the 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships he once more won bronze. At the Euro 2006 he lost early to Olexandr Klyuchko 18:30. At the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships he at last made it to the finals beating North Korean Kim Song-Guk but lost to Frankie Gavin. At the Olympics he beat Tahar Tamsamani but lost to Cuban favorite Yordenis Ugas 2:10. At the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships he used the absence of Gavin (had turned pro) and Ugas (went up in weight) and home advantage to win his first major title.