Workforce USA stayed undefeated via the primary three days of competitors in Busto Arsizio, Italy, on the 2024 Olympic Video games World Qualifier Event, as Emilio Garcia (Laredo, Texas) and Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.) took care of enterprise with spectacular wins to advance to the following spherical of competitors.
Garcia represented the USA first at the moment as he fought in opposition to Ahmad Shtiwi of Israel. Utilizing his mixtures and listening to his coaches within the blue nook, Garcia received the primary spherical from the judges, 5-0. Shtiwi tried to alter the tide and put stress on Garcia early within the second spherical, however Garcia didn’t fold and delivered a number of proper hooks to the Israeli boxer and received the second spherical, 4-1. Shtiwi received three judges’ playing cards within the last spherical, nevertheless it was too late because the American boxer received unanimously.
Garcia will now face the 2023 World Championships silver medalist from Cuba, Erislandy Alvarez. Alvarez, who’s 3-0 in his skilled profession, has additionally received quite a few worldwide medals in 2023 alongside his World Championships medal, together with a gold on the Cologne Boxing Cup and silver medals on the Central American and Caribbean Video games. The 2 will go head-to-head on Thursday, March 7.
Jones, having to attend till the final bout of the day, didn’t disappoint in closing the day’s motion in opposition to Allaksandr Radzionau, an Particular person Impartial Athlete who competed on the 2020 Olympics.
The American gentle middleweight picked up the primary spherical from the judges, controlling the complete spherical along with his jab and one-two mixtures, and didn’t look again. Jones stepped it up within the second spherical, touchdown sturdy jabs to the physique and aspect steps to as soon as once more take all 5 judges’ playing cards, together with two 10-8 scores, earlier than securing Workforce USA’s fourth unanimous determination of the match within the last spherical.
Jones will be a part of Garcia on Thursday, as he’ll face Mohamed Rachem of Belgium, who superior to face the 2021 Elite World Championship silver medalist by a break up determination victory over Montenegro’s Stefan Savkovic.
Eight boxers arrived in Italy representing Workforce USA, hoping to punch their ticket to this summer season’s 2024 Paris Olympic Video games underneath USA Boxing Nationwide Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Becoming a member of Walsh on the teaching workers are Nationwide Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), Nationwide Improvement Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.) together with assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).
The match is likely one of the largest Olympic qualifiers within the historical past of boxing, with over 600 boxers from 113 nations competing on the E-Work Area, hoping to seize one of many 49 quota locations obtainable for this summer season’s Video games.
