Because Olympic matches consist of four two-minute rounds, boxers cannot execute a long-term game plan. The key to winning is to land more punches than one’s opponent. But if a fighter lets down his guard, one punch can end the bout with a knockout.
Headgear and shirts must be worn.
Uniforms correspond to assigned ring corners.
10- to 12-ounce gloves.
The white part of the glove must strike the front of the opponent’s head or upper body to score a point.
Costly mistakes
Holding the arms too low leaves the body and head unprotected.
Moving the arm backward when the opposite arm is punching leaves the body and head unprotected.
Leaning into a punch for power may cause the fighter to lose his balance.
Looking the opponent in the eyes may cause the fighter to lose focus. He should be watching the chest and shoulders, looking for muscle movements
that precede a punch.
Basic techniques
OFFENSIVE
Uppercut: Used to set up a head punch.
Jab: Used to set up a combination punch and maintain distance.
Lead punch: A straight punch thrown with the strongest punching arm.
Hook: Thrown to the side, in the opponent’s peripheral vision.
DEFENSIVE
Parrying: Knocking down an incoming punch.
Sliiping: Moving in and out of an incoming punch.
Side stepping: Stepping to the side of an incoming punch.
Blocking: Using the arms to protect the body and lowering the head to protect the face.
Scoring
To earn a point, three of the five judges must acknowledge the white part of the glove struck the fighter.
BREAKING A TIE
Each judge’s points are tallied. In the event of a tie, the high and low scores are dropped, and those remaining are added for a total.
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Weight divisions
Light flyweight Up to 106 pounds
Flyweight 107-112 pounds
Bantamweight 113-119 pounds
Featherweight 120-125 pounds
Lightweight 126-132 pounds
Light welterweight 133-141 pounds
Welterweight 142-152 pounds
Middleweight 153-165 pounds
Light heavyweight 166-178 pounds
Heavyweight 179-200 pounds
Super heavyweight 201+ pounds
All-time medal standings
Competition began in 1904
United States 106
USSR/Russia 64
Cuba 47
Germany 45
Britain 44
Poland 43
Italy 40
Argentina 24
Romania 24
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Athletes to watch
Jerome Thomas
France (blue)
Bronze medalist in the flyweight division in 2000 Olympics.
Gaidarbek Gaidarbekov
Russia
Silver medalist in the middleweight division in 2000 Olympics.
Odlanier Solis
Cuba
Won the heavyweight title in 2001 and 2003 world championships.
Sources: Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, JABB Boxing Gym, United States Olympic Committee
– See microfilm for complete graphic.
