Beautiful winner’s medal awarded to Cuban welterweight boxer Carlos Banteux at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Silver with inlaid jade, 70 mm, 186 gm, by Medal Design Group, China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Elena Votsi. Created from ancient Chinese jade patterns, the medal consists of silver and jade, which symbolize nobility and virtue. Jade has been regarded as a virtue since ancient times, and the embodiment of Chinese traditional values of ethics and honor. The front depicts the standing goddess of Victory against panoramic imagery of the Panathinaikos Arena, with text above reading: “XXIX Olympiad Beijing 2008”; and the reverse features the Beijing Games emblem surrounded by inlaid jade and the outer circle engraved with the sport, “Boxing, Welterweight 69.” The design inspiration of the medal hook derives from jade ‘huang,’ a ceremonial jade piece decorated with a double dragon pattern and ‘Pu,’ the reed mat pattern. Includes the original red-and-orange ribbon and its gorgeous red rosewood presentation case.
Composed of 283 fast-fisted participants from a total of 77 nations, the boxing events of the XXIX Olympiad were held at Beijing’s Workers' Gymnasium between August 9-24. After outpointing boxers from Great Britain and Egypt in the opening and quarterfinal rounds, Cuba’s Carlos Banteux outworked China’s Hanati Silamu in the semi-finals to advance to the gold medal match where he eventually lost to Kazakhstan’s Bakhyt Sarsekbayev on points, 18-9. A striking, hard-fought victory medal from Beijing’s historic Summer Games.
