Winning a Gold Medal at the Olympics is the greatest achievement possible in amateur boxing. A successful showing in the Olympics has also proven to be the best possible way to launch a professional boxing career (much better than 'paying your dues' on the pro circuit). So how does an amateur fighter go about qualifying for the Olympics?
GOVERNING BODY FOR THE SPORT
The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) is the international governing body for boxing. USA Boxing is the national governing body for boxing in the USA.
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE OLYMPICS OR THE OLYMPIC TEAM
Boxers qualify for the Olympic Games through regional qualifying tournaments in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. The number of boxers accepted from any region depends upon the strength of boxing in the region.
There are ten men's and three women's boxing events, one for each weight category. A country can enter a maximum of one athlete per weight category. The host nation is allocated a maximum of six places (if not otherwise qualified). There is a limit of 250 male and 36 female boxers.
At the Olympics, boxers are paired off at random (without regard to ranking) and fight in a single-elimination tournament. However, unlike most Olympic events, the loser in each semi-final bout receives a bronze medal.
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