Andry Laffita
Name: Andry Laffita
Birth Name: Andry Laffita Fernandez
Hometown: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Birthplace: Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Amateur Boxer: Record
Andry Laffita Fernández (born March 26, 1978 in Pinar del Rio) is a Cuban amateur boxer best known for winning the silver medal at the 2005 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Mianyang, and winning a silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic games.
Amateur career
In 1996 the Laffita, a southpaw, won the world junior championships but kept standing in the shadows of others. In 1997 he lost to Maikro Romero, 11 times to Yan Barthelemy, beating him just once, and to Yuriorkis Gamboa. From 1999 to 2001 he was suspended for two years, for use of steroids.
Laffita rose to prominence only after Olympic champ Yuriorkis Gamboa couldn't make the weight any more. In Mianyang he upset Somjit Jongjohor (THA), Violito Payla, Juan Carlos Payano, Jérôme Thomas (FRA) and Mirat Sarsenbayev to reach the final. There he lost to Lee Ok-Sung.
2006 and 2007 he was beaten by compatriot Yoandris Salinas in the national championships, but when Salinas moved up a division he claimed the championship in 2008 vs Alexei Collado Acosta. At the Strandya Cup he beat Khalid Yafai, but lost to a local.
He qualified for the Olympics by edging out Braulio Ávila by razor-thin count back decision in the semifinal of the qualifier, a final loss to Juan Carlos Payano was meaningless.
Olympic results
2008 (as a flyweight)
- 1st round bye
- Defeated Khalid Yafai (Great Britain) 9-3
- Defeated McWilliams Arroyo (Puerto Rico) 11-2
- Defeated Georgy Balakshin (Russia) 9-8
- Lost to Somjit Jongjohor (Thailand) 2-8
World amateur championships results
2005 (as a flyweight)
- Defeated Somjit Jongjohor (Thailand) 16-14
- Defeated Jerome Thomas (France) 29-15
- Defeated Violito Payla (Philippines) RSCO
- Defeated Juan Carlos Payano (Dominican Republic) 31-22
- Defeated Mirat Sarsenbayev (Kazakhstan) 29-16
- Lost to Lee Ok-Sung (South Korea) 22-33 (final match)