Boxing: U.S. men humiliated in worst Games performance

By Padraic Halpin

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States men's team made a humiliating exit from the London Games on Friday after their final two fighters were eliminated, the first time the once great amateur boxing nation has failed to bring an Olympic medal home.

The U.S. came to the Olympics with the biggest boxing squad of any country but after less than a week's fighting, not one of their nine male boxers, competing across all bar one weight class, were good enough to make it beyond the last 16.

Three female fighters can salvage some pride for the U.S. when they enter the fray on Sunday and Monday, but for a country that has captured a record 48 boxing golds, won by the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Friday marked a fresh low.

"We still have the girls as long as they don't get any bad decisions or stuff like that," Rau'shee Warren told reporters after losing to France's Nordine Oubaali, launching a now familiar complaint against scoring at the Games.

The U.S. had thought they had a horrible Games four years ago when they won a solitary bronze. It was a roaring success compared to the last seven days.

The team had started brightly, winning their first four fights with Joseph Diaz Jr. and Errol Spence impressing, but they then lost nine in a row culminating in Spence's 13-11 loss to world amateur bronze medalist Krishan Vikas of India.

"It's real disappointing because we expected to come home with medals and we didn't so it's kind of a sad day," said Spence who left the ring in tears after his narrow loss.

"I feel like I let down a lot of people, my family and the people that is at home."