Pan Am Games Results [SPOILERS]
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Boxing Fanatic
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18
- Joined: 31 Jul 2007, 19:41
Once a boxer has made our Olympic team, he will either qualify through the 3 qualifiers and go to the Olympics, or he won't and we will be minus a weight class at the Games....that happened in 2004 when Roberto Benitez at 119 and Mickey Bey at 125 didn't qualify - we sent 9 boxers. The BOXER qualifies, not the weight class. If for some reason Yanez doesn't qualify (after making the Olympic team), no one else will take his place.
If you could do it by weight class, things like favoritism and what not could be raised. This way a boxer earns his way to the trials; how would you qualify a weight? This way is basically that; the guy qualifies at his weight; if he fails to qualify and he's our national team rep, he doesn't go.Roberts J wrote:I dont understand. It should be qualified by weight class. Makes no sense to me at all.
Ah, got you. I don't know; AIBA rules I think, isn't it? I don't see why we wouldn't be willing to let the alternate step in...wait, I thought we had an Olympic Alternate? Wasn't Joe Mesi an Olympic Alternate? I thought Joe Frazier only went to the Olympics cause Henry Tillman I think got injured? Am I right?Roberts J wrote:I mean, if the guy qualifies at his weight at the Worlds. But gets injured before the games. To, me, it seems fair the #2 boxer step in and take his place. I mean, why not ? Let the #1 go untill and if he gets injured!
Actually Frazier went in place of Grand Rapids' own Buster Mathis who broke his hand. Frazier went as the alternate and won the gold medal. The rules have changed and an alternate can no longer just fill in for another boxer. I think it is wrong and think if a boxer wins the trials, qualifies for the Olympics and then gets injured or sick, gets imprisoned, dies or can't go to the Olympics for some other legitimate reason, the alternate should be able to fill his spot. The qualifying process should qualify a weight class spot for a particular country not just a particular boxer. It is an international rule, either IOC or AIBA.Kolya wrote:Ah, got you. I don't know; AIBA rules I think, isn't it? I don't see why we wouldn't be willing to let the alternate step in...wait, I thought we had an Olympic Alternate? Wasn't Joe Mesi an Olympic Alternate? I thought Joe Frazier only went to the Olympics cause Henry Tillman I think got injured? Am I right?Roberts J wrote:I mean, if the guy qualifies at his weight at the Worlds. But gets injured before the games. To, me, it seems fair the #2 boxer step in and take his place. I mean, why not ? Let the #1 go untill and if he gets injured!
There are no more Olympic alternates who go in the place of a boxer should he not be able to compete. Some of the #2s were taken to Athens in 2004 as training partners only. I think if you qualified the weight class you would lose some of the personalization that's important to the boxer. It's the boxer who wants to make a name for himself and the Olympics provides that avenue. If you kept changing the boxers who participate, for reasons of injury or weight or whatever, it would be an administrative mess, let alone an identity crisis. I personally hope it never changes. 
Mel - you and I disagree on this one. It would only change if something drastic happened like Buster Mathis breaking his hand. Really not an administrative nightmare since it would only a change a few boxers out of hundreds for the Olympics.
Even in the U.S., we sometimes send different boxers to the U.S. Championships and National GG than the ones who won the State or Regional tournaments. We select alternates maybe 5-10% of the time. Does it cause some administrative difficulties? Yes. However, I think it is the right thing to do so that the opportunity isn't completely wasted. I think the same thing about the Olympic berths.
Even in the U.S., we sometimes send different boxers to the U.S. Championships and National GG than the ones who won the State or Regional tournaments. We select alternates maybe 5-10% of the time. Does it cause some administrative difficulties? Yes. However, I think it is the right thing to do so that the opportunity isn't completely wasted. I think the same thing about the Olympic berths.
Yup.Mel - you and I disagree on this one.
Are you saying this should only happen in case of an injury?It would only change if something drastic happened like Buster Mathis breaking his hand.
Could open up a can of worms in every AIBA country, not just the U.S. Then it becomes an administrative nightmare. Getting visas ain't easy.Really not an administrative nightmare since it would only a change a few boxers out of hundreds for the Olympics.
Our LBC doesn't make a practice of this - we rarely, if ever, have a reason to replace a boxer going to a tournament.Even in the U.S., we sometimes send different boxers to the U.S. Championships and National GG than the ones who won the State or Regional tournaments.
But you don't have to worry about going through the State Department and getting visas and impinging upon Olympic villages, etc. Big difference.We select alternates maybe 5-10% of the time. Does it cause some administrative difficulties? Yes. However, I think it is the right thing to do so that the opportunity isn't completely wasted. I think the same thing about the Olympic berths.
Mel - I didn't say there wouldn't be some hassles or difficulties, but I think it should be done. If one of our 11 boxers qualifies at the World Championships, but then comes down with cancer, epilepsy, HIV, or some other serious disease (these are diseases that have inflicted some boxers in recent years), we would have plenty of time to find an alternate and then get the alternate the proper visas, etc. Remember something like that could happen this winter and USAB would still have 6-9 months to handle the administrative work. There are other things that could and have happened such as major injuries, auto accident deaths, etc. I just think we should have the opportunity to send an alternate if something unforeseen happens. IOC could have rules as to when you could send an alternate, including a cutoff date. I just think that the we should be able to do it, especially since the qualifiers are so far in advance of the Olympics.
I know you don't agree Mel, but I would vote for this change and I know a lot of other boxers, coaches and officials that would as well.
I know you don't agree Mel, but I would vote for this change and I know a lot of other boxers, coaches and officials that would as well.