CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Francisco “Morochito” Rodríguez, the boxer who won Venezuela’s first Olympic gold medal, died Tuesday at age 78.
Venezuela’s Olympic Committee confirmed Rodriguez’ death on Wednesday on its social media channels but did not provide details. Local media reported he had been hospitalized in Caracas due to anemia.
At the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, Rodríguez won gold in the light flyweight division by beating South Korea’s Jee Yong-Ju in the final bout.
Rodríguez also won gold medals at the 1967 and 1971 Pan American Games.
Rodriguez was the second born of 14 children. He started boxing at age 11.
The second Venezuelan to win an Olympic gold medal was fencer Rubén Limardo at the London Olympics in 2012.
Indigenous group detains 12 alleged gold miners in Amazon and hands them over to Brazilian police
U.S. moon lander Peregrine completes re
How US changes to 'noncompete' agreements and overtime pay could affect workers
Humanoid robots make public debut in Beijing
Program targets lunar resources
Chinese firms can narrow AI gap with US within 1 or 2 years: founder of cybersecurity company
More than 1 in 4 US adults over age 50 say they expect to never retire, an AARP study finds
DR ELLIE CANNON: Are the drugs I'm taking to blame for my hip pain?