U.S. boxing flyweight Rau’shee Warren eliminated in preliminaries

LONDON -- The third time still wasn’t charming for Rau’shee Warren, a boxing medal favorite eliminated by France’s Nordine Oubaali via decision, 19-18, in a match that would have sent the U.S. flyweight to the quarterfinals.

Instead, Warren failed in his third consecutive Olympics, losing a bout he led going into the third and final round, 14-13, Friday at the ExCeL Arena.

“I thought I had the decision,” Warren said afterward.

Warren’s loss was a blow to the reeling state of U.S. men’s boxing, which picked up only one bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics and had only one fighter left in the London Games after Warren, welterweight Errol Spence.

Warren, 25, is the only three-time boxer in U.S. men’s history. He lost a first-round bout in 2004 and was a medal favorite in 2008 but fought conservatively to protect a lead he didn’t have.

In 2008, he burst into tears when the final score was announced. On Friday, however, he spoke quietly with reporters a few minutes after he left the ring.

“Twenty-five’s still young. I didn’t give my whole life,” he said. “I just gave my dream to the Olympics.”

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