KIEV — Undisputed world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine has said he wants to compete at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported Monday.
“I hope that international amateur boxing’s ruling body will be kind to me, and that I will have enough health and motivation to perform at the Olympics in two years time,” the agency quoted the 38-year-old champion, who won gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, as saying.
“I have talked to my former coach Emanuel Steward, who told me that he already has the experience of coaching Olympic Games winners and he would be happy to prepare me for the 2016 Games,” said Klitschko.
“I already have an Olympic title and it would be terrific to repeat this experience 20 years later.”
On Sunday Klitschko defended his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts in Oberhausen, Germany, in his 25th world title fight knocking out Australian challenger Alex Leapai after two minutes, five seconds of the fifth round.
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