COLORADO SPRINGS, Ronde. (November 26, 2019) – Sixty-four of the nation’s top male amateur boxers will compete at the upcoming 2020 U.S. Olympisch Team Trials voor Boxing in Lake Charles, Louisiana, December 9-16.
Een totaal van 479 boxers competed in the four qualifying tournaments with hopes of advancing to Lake Charles. The top two boxers in each weight division will advance to the next stage of the selection procedures this January in Colorado Springs and compete for a chance to represent Team USA at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Here is a closer look at the boxers stepping into the ring in the eight men’s weight divisions.
Flyweight/114 lbs./52 kg
The flyweight division will feature multiple exciting matchups, as all eight boxers will be looking to represent Team USA next year and follow in 2016 Olympic bronze medalists Nico Hernandez’ footsteps. 2019 World Championships team member and 2018 Elite National ChampionMichael Angeletti (Voorjaar, Texas) has hopes of using his great deal of international experience he gained this year to lead the pack, while two-time flyweight national champion (’16 and ’17) Fernando Martinez (Feniks, Ariz.) will want to return to the top of the podium. 2018 Elite National Championships runner-upAbraham Perez (Albuquerque, N.M) has hopes of redemption to take the title. YoungsterRay Ray Robinson(Cincinnati, Ohio) punched his ticket to Lake Charles by winning the Eastern Elite Qualifier in his home state and his elite debut, enJose Nieves (Avenel, N.J.) grabbed the title at the Last Chance Qualifier in Oxnard over an impressive field.Roscoe Hill is the second boxer from Spring, Texas to qualify in this division following his silver medal-effort at the Western Elite Qualifier in Reno. Los Angeles duoAnthony Herrera enAnthony Olascuaga round out the field. Herrera was victorious in Reno and Olascuaga finished second in Oxnard.
Bantamweight/125 lbs./57 kg
After falling short on his Olympic-qualification run in 2016,Duke Ragan (Cincinnati, Ohio) is een van de meest succesvolle boksers van Team USA die naar het toernooi heeft geleid, het winnen van meerdere internationale medailles, waaronder een zilver op het 2017 Wereldkampioenschappen Elite en 2019 Pan American Games. Echter, een mix van jeugd en veteranen maakt deze divisie een waar horloge.David Navarro (Los Angeles, Calif.) eindigde als derde op de 2018 Elite Nationale Kampioenschappen, maar sloeg zijn ticket na de overstap van Raymond Ford naar de professionele rangen.Japhethlee Llamido(Norwalk, Calif.) enRashiem Jefferson (Philadelphia, Pa.) had indrukwekkende runs op de Western en Eastern Qualifiers om het kampioenschap op die evenementen te behalen, terwijlJonathan Mansour (La Mesa, Calif.) versloeg een indrukwekkend veld in Oxnard, Calif. om met een vaart aan zijn zijde naar Lake Charles te gaan.Bruce Carrington (Brooklyn, N.Y.), een concurrent in de 2016 U.S. Olympisch Team Trials voor Boxing, enKevin Montano(Verdrag, Calif.), hebben veel ervaring op het nationale en internationale toneel om het interessant te maken, terwijlXavian Ramirez (Lectuur, Pa.) kwalificeerden zich voor de proeven nadat ze recentelijk waren overgestapt naar de elite divisie.
Lichtgewicht / 63 kg
Arguably the deepest male division at the trials, the competition for the top two spots will be one of the toughest and most exciting of the week. 2019 Pan American Games and World Championships silver medalistKeyshawn Davis(Norfolk, Va.) has dominated on the national stage the previous two years, and will hope to continue his run, but will have stiff competition from the other seven boxers in this bracket. 2018 USA Boxing Elite National Championships silver medalistsDalis Kaleiopu(Waianae, Hawaii) will be looking for redemption after his close bout in the finals last year against Davis. 2015 Junior World Championships silver medalistsHarley Mederos (New York, N.Y.) hopes to repeat his impressive performance from the 2019 Eastern Elite Qualifier, terwijl 2019 Western Elite Qualifier ChampionCharlie Sheehy (Brisbane, Calif.) looks to return to the USA Boxing High Performance squad after being a member in 2018. 2019 Last Chance Qualifier ChampionErnesto Mercado (Pomona, Calif.) made the transition to the elite division easily after dominating throughout this year on the youth stage, including an international gold medal in March.Israël Rodriguez (Vernederen, Texas) surprised many when he took the second spot at the 2019 Eastern Qualifier, which will be a huge confidence booster in Lake Charles, enMarcell Davidson (Shawnee, Mei.) has the goods to reach the finals. Another boxer making the transition to elite this year, Daniel Garcia(Westminster, Colo.), secured the final spot after a strong performance in Oxnard, including a close matchup against Mercado in the finals.
Weltergewicht / 152 kg lbs./69
2017 WK bronzen medaillewinnaarFreudis Rojas Jr. (Las Vegas, Nev.) en 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalistdelante Johnson (Cleveland, Ohio) headline a strong welterweight division.Marques Valle (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) surprised many at last year’s Elite National Championships, defeating some of Team USA’s top competitors, to secure his spot.Kelvin Davis(Norfolk, Va.), the older brother of Keyshawn Davis, will be looking to pick up where he left off in Ohio, terwijlVictor Aranda (Stap, Texas) enters as the Western Elite Qualifier Champion. Lavars Carter (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned the final spot, and could see a potential third matchup against Johnson, as they met in Salt Lake last year and the finals of the Last Chance Qualifier, with Carter winning in Salt Lake and Johnson in Oxnard.Wayne Bourdreaux (Marrero, De.) will be looking for a strong performance, as he is one of the few Louisiana natives in the field, enMorris Young (Chesaning, Mich.) will be hoping to improve on his silver medal performance in Reno.
Middengewicht / 165 lbs./75 kg
Expected to be another weight division with exciting matchups, the middleweight division has the potential to see a fourth finals matchup between 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalistTroy Isley (Alexandra, Va.) en 2018 Elite National ChampionJavier Martinez(Milwaukee, Wisc.). Isley took the national title in 2016 en 2017 over Martinez, terwijl Martinez zegevierde in 2018. Echter, beide boksers zullen zes getalenteerde boksers moeten doorstaan die honger zullen hebben om hun finaleruns te beëindigen.Kahshad Elliot(Plainfield, N.J.), Joseph Hicks (Grand Rapids, Mich.) enAntonio Garcia (Anaheim, Calif.) werden gekroond tot kampioen tijdens de drie kwalificaties, en zullen hun winnende wegen in Louisiana voortzetten.Alexis Chaparro (New York, N.Y.), Francis Hogan (Weymouth, Massa.) enAlex Chisholm (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.) lieten zien waarom ze niet mogen worden onderschat met hun kwalificerende prestaties en het moeilijk zullen zijn om in deze categorie door te komen.
Licht zwaargewicht / 178 lbs./81 kg
2018 Elite National ChampionRahim Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.) heeft het hart en de vastberadenheid om te slagen in Lake Charles nadat het tekortschoot bij de 2016 U.S. Olympisch Team Trials voor Boxing, terwijl Atif Oberlton (Philadelphia, Pa.) is gestegen na zijn zilveren medailleprestaties op de nationale kampioenschappen van vorig jaar. Het rondschuiven van boksers die zich in meerdere divisies kwalificeerden, Francis Oran (Allentown, Pa.) is the lone regional qualifier champion, taking the title in Oxnard at the Last Chance Qualifier.Orville Crooks (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Amir Ghaffari Nikou (Charlotte, N.C.) enNasheed Smith(Washington, Gelijkspanningsbedrading) qualified to these trials after finishing second at the Eastern, Last Chance and Western Qualifiers, respectively.Chavon Davis (Mansfield, Ohio) enRobert Magee(Byrnes Mill, Mo.) were added to the field following Javier Martinez and Adrian Tillman, the Eastern and Western Qualifier Champions in this division selected to compete in the other weight class they are qualified in.
Heavyweight/201 lbs./91 kg
After qualifying in two different weight classes, Adrian Tillman (Colorado Springs, Colo.) chose to compete in the heavyweight division with hopes of being one of the two boxers in this division, echter, de 2018 Elite National Championships heavyweight silver medalists will have to fend off a tough bracket to advance.Najee Lopez (Ellenwood, Ga.), Brandon Moore(Lakeland, Fla.) enDevon Young(Aiken, S.C.) were crowned champions in the three regional qualifying tournaments and all three will be looking to continue their winning ways in a few weeks, terwijlJoshua Edwards (Houston, Texas), Darius Fulghum (Rosharon, Texas) enJamar Talley (Camden, N.J.) finished second in the regional qualifiers but could make it an interesting week in Louisiana. 2016 Elite National Champion and 2018 bronze medalistsCymone Kearney (Beaumont, Texas) was a late addition to the field after Jared Anderson moved to the professional ranks and could surprise many.
Super Heavyweight/201+ lbs./ 91+ kg
With the medical exemption of two-time USA Boxing Elite National Champion and 2019 Pan American Games bronze medalistRichard Torrez Jr.(Tulare, Calif.)** being accepted by USA Boxing, the super heavyweight division is wide open for the eight boxers competing in Lake Charles. 2019 Eastern and Western Qualifier ChampionsJeremiah Milton (Tulsa, Oklahoma.) enAntonio Mireles (des Moines, Iowa) will look to be victorious once more after they stood atop the podium at their respective events to qualify, terwijlDominic Okopie (Houston, Texas) grabbed the Last Chance Qualifier title to secure his spot in the tournament.Luis Alvarado (Keonsha, Wisc.) made an impressive international debut earlier this year and will look to use that valuable experience over the other boxers in this division.Dacarree Scott(Decatur, Ga.), Pryce Taylor (Brooklyn, N.Y.) enKenyon Walker (San Antonio, Texas) punched their tickets to Louisiana by placing second at their respective qualifying event, while Deandre Savage (Las Vegas, Nev.) will return to the national stage after qualifying to last year’s Elite National Championships.
Boxing will begin on Monday, December. 9 at the Lake Charles Civic Center, with the finals taking place Sunday, December. 15 at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino.
**Boxers who receive medical exemption from the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing zullen op Jan strijden. 4, 2020 in een box-off tegen de nummer twee van hun gewichtsklasse in Colorado Springs, Ronde. voor de mogelijkheid om door te gaan naar de volgende fase van de selectieprocedures voor atleten **
Over boksen in de VS.
De missie van USA Boxing is om amateur-boksen in olympische stijl in de Verenigde Staten te promoten en te laten groeien en om het onvermoeibare streven naar Olympisch goud te inspireren en atleten en coaches in staat te stellen een aanhoudende competitieve excellentie te bereiken. Bovendien, USA Boxing probeert alle deelnemers het karakter bij te brengen, vertrouwen en focus die ze nodig hebben om veerkrachtige en diverse kampioenen te worden, zowel in als uit de ring. Boksen in de VS is een team, een natie, Voor goud gaan!