Team USA’s eight boxers competing at the 2024 World Qualifier Tournament, the second Olympic qualifier, in Busto Arsizio, Italy, learned their first opponents, as well as who stands in their way to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as the tournament draw took place before the action gets underway tomorrow and lasts until Monday, March 11.
This World Qualifier represents the second Olympic Qualifier for boxers around the world. The event will last from Sunday, March 3 until Monday, March 11. Team USA learned their first opponent today, as well as the full bracket and who stands in their way to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 2024 World Qualifier will have 602 boxers from 113 different nations competing this upcoming week at the E-Work arena. With 49 quota places available for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, all Team USA boxers must finish in the top four to qualify, besides Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho), 57 kg, who must finish in the top two.
Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) will get Team USA underway and face off against Daniyar Rozmetov from Turkmenistan during the first session of the competition. The flyweight hopes to repeat his Pan American Games performance as he secured the bronze medal, and a similar result would punch his Olympic ticket.
In session two on Sunday, Team USA will see their first female boxer of the tournament as Mendoza will go against Mexico’s 2018 Youth Olympic Games silver medalist, Jennifer Carrillo. The featherweight boxer is one of the team’s rising stars. The youngest boxer on the team is just 20 years old and won three international medals in 2023.
Monday’s session will include 2021 World Championship gold medalist Robby Gonzales (Las Vegas, Nev.). He will be the lone USA boxer fighting this day as he faces Eldric Sella from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Refugee Team. Gonzales, who will close out the day’s first session, looks to solidify his Olympic dream as he hopes to qualify for Paris in his third Olympic cycle.
Tuesday will be starred by two 2023 Gee Bee International Tournament Champions, as Emilio Garcia (Laredo, Texas) and Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.) will make their World Qualifier debuts. Garcia will stand against Israel’s Ahmad Shtiwi, which is shaping up to be a competitive opening bout. Garcia has won two international medals in the past year, and his opponent, Shtiwi, is a three-time European Championship medalist. Whereas Jones secured a first-round bye and will look for a victory against the 2020 Olympic boxer Aliaksandr Radzionau, who will be compete in Italy as an Individual Neutral Athlete.
The sole Olympian on the team, Naomi Graham (Fayetteville, N.C.), looks to start her second Olympic Games run Wednesday morning against Cindy Ngamba from the IOC Refugee Team.
The two remaining USA boxers secured a bye in the first round and start their journey later in the week on Thursday. The newest member of Team USA, Shera Mae Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii), will face the winner of Puerto Rico’s Angelyris Lopez, or Coletivi Dechey Yetongnon out of Togo. Later in the day, Camden’s and 2023 two-time international medalist, Jamar Talley (Camden, N.J.), begins his Olympic dream and will face Ayoub Maanni out of Morocco.
Team USA is being led by USA Boxing Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.), National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), as well as National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.) along with assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).
Click here to stay up to date on Team USA eight boxers and their journey in Busto Arsizio, including athlete stories, daily schedule, livestream and more.
Team USA Opening Bout Schedule
Sunday, March 3
51 kg: Roscoe Hill, Spring, Texas/USA, vs. Daniyar Rozmetov, TKM
57 kg: Alyssa Mendoza, Caldwell, Idaho/USA, vs. Jennifer Carrillo, MEX
Monday, March 4
80 kg: Robby Gonzales, Las Vegas, Nev./USA, vs. Eldric Sella/BRT
Tuesday, March 5
63.5 kg: Emilio Garcia, Laredo, Texas/USA, vs. Ahmad Shtiwi/ISR
71 kg: Omari Jones, Orlando, Fla./USA, vs. Aliaksandr Radzionau, INA
Wednesday, March 6
75 kg: Naomi Graham, Fayetteville, N.C./USA, vs. Cindy Ngamba/BRT
Thursday, March 7
54 kg: Shera Mae Patricio, Waianae, Hawaii/ USA vs. winner of Angelyris Lopez/PUR vs. Coletivi Dechey Yetongnon/TOG
92 kg: Jamar Talley, Camden, N.J./USA, vs. Ayoub Maanni/MAR
