Is the team set or not

mich3102 · Post by **mich3102** » 05 Sep 2007, 10:37

I have heard conflicting reports as to whether or not the team has been finalized. If it has been, who is on the team? If not who has qualified and what work is still left for those that are close.

ringrat4life · Post by **ringrat4life** » 05 Sep 2007, 12:02

The 2008 Olympic Team is set...
106 Luis Yanez
112 RauShee Warren
119 Gary Russell
125 Raynell Williams
132 Sadam Ali
141 Javier Molina
152 Demetrius Andrade
165 Shawn Estrada
178 Chris Downs
201 Deontay Wilder
201+ Mike Hunter

The only way it could change is if
an athlete was kicked off the team,
for not following rules. Moving to
the Olympic Training Center is one
thing that all the athletes are
required to do.

mich3102 · Post by **mich3102** » 05 Sep 2007, 12:17

I am not real up on how the scoring to compete in bejing works. However, i read where the winners from the trials still have to qualify internationally. Is that true?

ringrat4life · Post by **ringrat4life** » 05 Sep 2007, 12:50

Yes, Team USA is set, now all 11 athletes
have to qualify themselves in each weight
class. The first qualifier is the World
Championships in Chicago. The top 8 in
every weight class except 201 and 201+,
and in those two it is the top 4... I am not
sure where the other qualifiers will be but
I am sure not in the US. This is why we
want to try and qualify all of our athletes
here in Chicago at home.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 05 Sep 2007, 14:15

There will be two America's qualifiers after the World Championships - dates and locations TBD. Mario is correct - they probably won't be in the U.S. I would like to see our athletes qualify at home, but I'm sure quite a few will have to qualify at the America's qualifiers. The draw can play a big role in getting qualified.

mich3102 · Post by **mich3102** » 05 Sep 2007, 15:25

So there is a realistic chance we could have some guys on the team not make it to bejing????

emile · Post by **emile** » 05 Sep 2007, 15:27

mich3102 wrote:So there is a realistic chance we could have some guys on the team not make it to bejing????

Yes, just like last time.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 06 Sep 2007, 11:55

Unfortunately that is true, but I'm hoping for an 11 man team.

emile · Post by **emile** » 06 Sep 2007, 15:02

As I said in another thread, I think they're a bit lucky in that the strongest US fighters are in the strongest Continental weight classes. If they had a good, solid fighter at 112, he'd get mauled and not make it to Beijing. But since they have Shee, some really good fighter from the Americas is going to be left home. Same with 106 and 119. The fighters with less of a resume, at 125, 132, 141, 165, 201 have reasonable fields to deal with - although I expect at least one will not make it.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 07 Sep 2007, 08:41

Emile - remember that not having an extensive resume does not always matter. George Foreman had very limited amateur experience and won a gold in the Olympics anyway.

JMac · Post by **JMac** » 07 Sep 2007, 09:37

Dennis wrote:Emile - remember that not having an extensive resume does not always matter. George Foreman had very limited amateur experience and won a gold in the Olympics anyway.

That was a different era of amateur boxing before electronic scoring. There is a right way and wrong way to box to the computer. The east European style is the best way. It's boring to watch but the best way. The gloves are different now from the old horse hair gloves as well which makes it much more diffeicult to KO somebody. Super heavies and heavyweight boxers are the only weight class where a less experience boxer could possibly win with power vs experience.
The US boxers have the talent to learn how to box to the system, but many of them lack international experience because they are so young. If the US boxers never turned pro like the Cubans, the US would dominate.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 07 Sep 2007, 12:38

However, many of our top amateurs do turn pro and even at too early of an age. Some do well, but others don't and should have stayed amateur for a few more years.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 07 Sep 2007, 17:41

The US boxers have the talent to learn how to box to the system, but many of them lack international experience because they are so young.

Emile, one of the biggest setbacks is the fact that our boxers haven't had any international experience to speak of in the past year or so. It is my understanding that our Olympic team will be getting tons before the Olympics. There is already duals set with Australia and Romania here this year, and a team is going to Romania, also. We'll see what's on the calendar for next year - lots of activity, I hope.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 10 Sep 2007, 14:45

The team that went to Romania was not our Olympic team.