Boxing: Men's Super Heavy Weight (+91kg) : Event preview
ATHENS, 30 July – Russian Super Heavy Weight (+91kg) Alexander POVETKIN is regarded as a “nice guy” outside the ring, but when the Athens 2004 boxing tournament gets underway he is guaranteed to be aggressive.
He will be trying to win his fourth major international tournament in a row, having already taken the 2003 world title and beating Roberto CAMMARELE (ITA) in the finals of both the 2002 and 2004 European championships.
Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Rustam SAIDOV (UZB) has added a 2003 world championship bronze medal to his collection and he will be a threat in Athens, as will Sebastian KOEBER (GER) who also won bronze in Bangkok.
KOEBER has moved up from the Heavy Weight (91kg) division where he won the bronze medal in Sydney.
Jason ESTRADA (USA) hopes to follow in the footsteps of Joe FRASIER and George FOREMAN by winning a Super Heavy Weight gold medal.
ESTRADA beat Michel LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) in the final at the 2003 Pan American Games to become the first non-Cuban to win the +91kg division in the history of the event.
He has not lost a bout on US soil since 2000 and says he will turn professional after the Olympic Games.
LOPEZ NUNEZ will be trying to embelish the records of Cubans Teofilo STEVENSON, who won gold in 1972, 1976 and 1980, and Roberto BALADO, who was successful in 1992.
Boxing: Men's Light Fly Weight (48kg) : Event preview
ATHENS,30 July – Sergey KAZAKOV (RUS) and Yan BHARTELEMY VARELA (CUB) stand out as the best prospects for the gold medal in the Light Fly Weight (48kg) division at the Athens 2004 boxing tournament.
Southpaw KAZAKOV is a proven performer at international level, using his height and reach to win him the 2003 world title and three European Championships.
He will be hoping to do better in Athens than he did in Sydney where he lost in the first round.
BHARTELEMY VARELA upset KAZAKOV in the quarterfinals of the 2001 World Championships and went on to take the gold medal.
Even though he was favourite to win the 2003 World Championships, BHARTELEMY VARELA lost in the second round to Shimming ZOU (CHN), who went on to take the silver medal.
At just 17 years old, Rau Shee WARREN (USA) is the youngest boxer in the tournament whose speed makes up for what he might lack in experience.
The southpaw clinched his place in the USA team at the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, beating home crowd-favorite Miguel MIRANDA (MEX) in the final.
Harry TANAMOR (PHI), 2003 and 2001 World Championships bronze medallist, could cause an upset and there will be plenty of attention for the shortest boxer in Athens, Najah ALI (IRQ).
ALI received a special invitation to compete at the Olympic Games and plans to turn professional after Athens.
Boxing: Men's Super Heavy Weight (+91kg) : Event preview
|
ATHENS, 30 July – Russian Super Heavy Weight (+91kg) Alexander POVETKIN is regarded as a “nice guy” outside the ring, but when the Athens 2004 boxing tournament gets underway he is guaranteed to be aggressive.
He will be trying to win his fourth major international tournament in a row, having already taken the 2003 world title and beating Roberto CAMMARELE (ITA) in the finals of both the 2002 and 2004 European championships.
Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Rustam SAIDOV (UZB) has added a 2003 world championship bronze medal to his collection and he will be a threat in Athens, as will Sebastian KOEBER (GER) who also won bronze in Bangkok.
KOEBER has moved up from the Heavy Weight (91kg) division where he won the bronze medal in Sydney.
Jason ESTRADA (USA) hopes to follow in the footsteps of Joe FRASIER and George FOREMAN by winning a Super Heavy Weight gold medal.
ESTRADA beat Michel LOPEZ NUNEZ (CUB) in the final at the 2003 Pan American Games to become the first non-Cuban to win the +91kg division in the history of the event.
He has not lost a bout on US soil since 2000 and says he will turn professional after the Olympic Games.
LOPEZ NUNEZ will be trying to embelish the records of Cubans Teofilo STEVENSON, who won gold in 1972, 1976 and 1980, and Roberto BALADO, who was successful in 1992. |
ATHENS,30 July – Sergey KAZAKOV (RUS) and Yan BHARTELEMY VARELA (CUB) stand out as the best prospects for the gold medal in the Light Fly Weight (48kg) division at the Athens 2004 boxing tournament.
Southpaw KAZAKOV is a proven performer at international level, using his height and reach to win him the 2003 world title and three European Championships.
He will be hoping to do better in Athens than he did in Sydney where he lost in the first round.
BHARTELEMY VARELA upset KAZAKOV in the quarterfinals of the 2001 World Championships and went on to take the gold medal.
Even though he was favourite to win the 2003 World Championships, BHARTELEMY VARELA lost in the second round to Shimming ZOU (CHN), who went on to take the silver medal.
At just 17 years old, Rau Shee WARREN (USA) is the youngest boxer in the tournament whose speed makes up for what he might lack in experience.
The southpaw clinched his place in the USA team at the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, beating home crowd-favorite Miguel MIRANDA (MEX) in the final.
Harry TANAMOR (PHI), 2003 and 2001 World Championships bronze medallist, could cause an upset and there will be plenty of attention for the shortest boxer in Athens, Najah ALI (IRQ).
ALI received a special invitation to compete at the Olympic Games and plans to turn professional after Athens.
Boxing: Men's Fly Weight (51kg) : Event preview
|
ATHENS, 30 July – The Fly Weight (51kg) division of the Olympic boxing tournament in ATHENS 2004 is one of the most anticipated of the Games.
It will renew a three-year rivalry between the two best flyweights in the world, Somjit JONGJOHOR (THA) and Jerome THOMAS (FRA).
In the 2003 World Championships in Bangkok, JONGJOHOR beat an impressive list of boxers including Yuriorkis GAMBOA TOLEDANO (CUB) and Rustamhodza RAHIMOV (GER) before defeating THOMAS 24-17 in the final.
In the 2001 World Championships JONGJOHOR lost to THOMAS in the quarterfinals and the French boxer went on to win the title.
THOMAS has reached at least the quarterfinals of every major international event he has entered since 1998 and took a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Ron SILER (USA), a 24-year-old father of four, is one of the most experienced members of the American team, winning a gold medal at the 2001 Goodwill Games and dominating the US Olympic Trials.
Russia’s gold medal hopeful is 24-year-old southpaw Georgy BALAKSHIN, who in a short career has won two European titles and a bronze medal in the world Championships.
Bradley HORE (AUS) will be out to make amends for his disqualification from the 2000 Olympic tournament.
The smallest member of the Australian team, HORE was one kilogram over weight and team officials withdrew him from the official weigh-in. |
Boxing: Men's Bantam Weight (54kg) : Event preview
|
ATHENS, 29 July – Guillermo RIGONDEAUX ORTIZ (CUB), the gold medallist in the Sydney Bantam Weight (54kg) division, comes to the Olympic tournament not only to defend his title, but also to meet again his nemesis from the 2003 World Championships, Aghasi MAMMADOV (AZE).
The two boxers have met three times in major competitions and RIGONDEAUX ORTIZ won twice, in the Sydney Olympic quarterfinals and in the 2001 World Championships.
MAMMADOV’s only win against the Cuban was in the second round of the 2003 World Championships in Bangkok.
Previously, MAMMADOV fought for Turkey, under the name Agasi AGAGULOGLU.
Southpaw Gennady KOVALEV is hoping to win Russia’s first Bantam Weight Olympic title.
KOVALEV reached the finals of the European Championships in 2002 and 2004, taking away one gold and one silver medal, and then won another silver at the 2003 World Championships.
Both MAMMADOV and KOVALEV will be wary of Ali HALLAB (FRA).
In the 2004 European Championships, HALLAB outclassed MAMMADOV in the quarterfinals before losing to KOVALEV in the final.
Abner MARES MARTINEZ (MEX) is another boxer who could make it on to the podium in Athens.
In the final of the 2003 Pan American Games, MARES MARTINEZ pushed RIGONDEAUX ORTIZ before losing 17-7. |