Boxing at the Olympic Games has always retained its amateur status, although many of the athletes who have competed – and medalled – have gone on to become household names in the professional ranks, including Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Joe Frazier and, of course, the greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay). Winning an Olympic medal, therefore, is a chance to announce yourself to the world.
However, Boxing is one of the harder events to predict. This is partially because the draws – which were made yesterday – have limited seedings, which can make paths to the semi-final stage (at which point a medal is guaranteed) more random than in some other sports.
Another factor that complicates prediction making (although probably doesn’t bother normal people) is that the Olympic boxing events combines some weight classes, which can make it difficult to determine past form, as some boxers will never have faced each other before now.
Ireland has a proud history in Boxing at the Olympics. In fact, over half of their total Olympic medals have come in this sport. Expect them to have several medal chances, including Michaela Walsh in the Women’s Featherweight. Another nation to look out for is that of Cuba which, like Ireland, has excelled in this event.
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