Leo Rwabwogo

Leo Rwabwogo (3 June 1949 – 14 January 2009) was a Ugandan boxer, who won two Olympic medals during his career as an amateur in the flyweight division (up to 51 kg). He won a bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City before winning a silver medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. He also won a silver medal at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh.

Early life Rwabwogo was born in Tororo, a town in the Eastern Region of Uganda. He took up boxing and joined the Kilembe Mines Boxing Center in the west of the country.

Career 1968 Olympics Rwabwogo had claimed the African flyweight title in the 1960s and was selected as part of the Ugandan boxing team for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He was drawn against South Korean Seo Sang-yeong in his debut fight in the Olympics, winning a unanimous 5–0 decision. Further decision victories over American David Vasquez and Hungarian Tibor Badari followed, winning both 3–2, advanced Rwabwogo to the semi-final. The experienced Olech proved too strong for Rwabwogo, winning the fight in a 4–1 decision. Mukwanga went on to win the silver medal after losing the final.

1972 Olympics

At the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, Rwabwogo won the silver medal after losing to Englishman Dave Needham. He was chosen to represent Uganda again at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning his first round bout over Uruguayan Jorge Acuña by a 5–0 decision. He recorded his first TKO victory in an Olympic event in the second round, stopping British fighter Maurice O'Sullivan. He recorded a decision victory over Thailand's Chawalit On-Chim before recording a second TKO victory of the tournament by stopping Irishman Neil McLaughlin in the quarter-final. Rwabwogo's trainer would later claim that an injured right hand had impeded his fight and denied him victory.

By winning silver, Rwabwogo became the only Ugandan athlete to win more than one Olympic medal in the nation's history. He is also one of only three fighters to have won more than one medal at flyweight in Olympic history, alongside Artur Olech of Poland and Bulat Zhumadilov of Kazakhstan.