Hole in lung ruins teenage boxer's dream

By Patrick Vignal

BEIJING (Reuters) - A day after learning he had a hole in one of his lungs, American teenager Javier Molina took to the ring in a light-welterweight bout at the Olympics on Sunday but his brave efforts were in vain.

Molina, 18, missed Friday's opening ceremony and had stayed in bed for most of the past two days.

"The doctors discovered a hole in his lung yesterday (Saturday)," American coach Dan Campbell told reporters. "The air seeps out into the skin and gets trapped. He had to lay in bed for two days. He did the best he could."

Molina, the youngest member of the American team, looked helpless on his way to a 14-1 first-round defeat by Bulgaria's Boris Georgiev.

"I felt sluggish and he (Georgiev) took advantage of that," he said. "I felt I was too slow. By the time I was in he was out and he counter-punched.

"It's crappy to go out but it was good to experience this," he added. "I'll stay to support the other U.S. Olympians."

The Americans have won a record 48 Olympic boxing titles but have been struggling in recent years and have managed just one gold medal from the past two Games.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)