BEIJING, Aug 13: British super-heavyweight David Price started the boxing event efficiently with a second-round stoppage of top Russian Islam Timurziev on Wednesday.

Price was trailing Timurziev 2-0 after the first round but he knocked down his opponent twice in the second. The Briton brought down Timurziev with a left-right combination and again with a fierce left before the referee stepped in to stop the fight 31 seconds into the second round.

The win put Price through to the quarter-finals and left him one win away from a medal. He will next face Lithuania’s Jaroslav Jaksto and no longer has to worry about Robert Alfonso, who became the first Cuban to bow out when he was outpointed by Ukraine’s Vyacheslav Glazkov.

Alfonso, who looked sluggish on his way to a 5-3 points defeat, left the superpower of amateur boxing with nine boxers out of 10 going into the second round, which starts on Thursday.

The fifth day of action had started with China’s top hope Zou Shiming beginning his campaign with a comfortable points win over Venezuela’s Eduard Bermudez.

On a day of contrasts, the heavyweights also took to the ring with Cuba’s Osmay Acosta outclassing Nigerian Olanrewaju Durodola 11-0.

Cuba have won the last four Olympic heavyweight titles but are without 2004 champion Odlanier Solis, who defected to turn professional.

Italy’s Clemente Russo, the world heavyweight champion, also made a smooth start, outpointing Viktar Zuyev of Belarus 7-1.—Reuters