SKorean fighter pulls out of Olympics bout to save life

BEIJING (AFP) - - South Korean boxer Baik Jong-Sub has been forced to sacrifice his dream of an Olympic medal after being told he could die if he continued to fight, according to reports here on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old Baik has been suffering from chest pains, a legacy of the damage from an earlier bout, and has pulled out of his lightweight quarter-final against Hrachik Javakhyan of Armenia.

"After checking with both team and local hospital officials, we figured he should no longer fight because it could threaten his life," Baik's coach, Chun In-ho told the Yonhap news agency.

Chun said his fighter's respiratory organs are believed to have been damaged during an earlier bout, allowing air to penetrate into his cardiovascular system.

Baik, who finished fifth in the 60kg division in Athens four years ago, defeated Pichai Sayota of Thailand to earn a place in the quarter-finals.

"Baik wanted to fight, but we stopped him from doing so," Chun added.