Lightweight (≤60 kilograms), Men

An already open division was made even more open by the second rounds exits of fighters from the United States and Soviet Union, and the decision of 1951 European champion Bruno Visintin to campaign in a higher weight category. The two men to contest the Olympic final were Aleksy Antkiewicz, a Pole who had been relatively untroubled in reaching the gold medal match, and Italian lightweight champion Aureliano Bolognesi, whose route had been harder and had included a win over tournament favorite Bobby Bickle of America. The Italian was generally adjudged to have won the first round of the final but the Pole won the second, so the fight was still in the balance as they entered the third round. Inspired by the words of his trainer, Bolognesi made a desperate attempt to force the pace in the final minutes, and this proved enough to tip the balance in favor of the Italian on the scorecards of two of the three judges.