Team USA went 2-0 today in Busto Arsizio, Italy, during the Seventh day of boxing at the E-Work Arena at the first 2024 Olympic Games World Qualifying Tournament.
Shera Mae Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii) grabbed her second win of the tournament after coming from behind after the first round to be one win away from qualifying for Paris.
Patricio, who was facing Sofia Micaela Robles of Argentina, saw Robles take the early 5-0 lead but came back strong. Once again, she overwhelmed her opponent with a flurry of punches to take the second and third rounds unanimously. Her unanimous victory secured her a place to fight against Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong, a two-time World Championship medalist and 2020 Olympian, on Sunday for a ticket to this summer’s Olympic Games.
“I am feeling really good. I was down in the first round, and I knew I had to pick it up,” Patricio shared after her victory. “I looked at my coaches and believed in God. I fought all the way to get this victory, and now we are one away.”
Heavyweight Jamar Talley (Camden, N.J.) closed out the day in impressive fashion against Narek Manasyan of Armenia.
Talley jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first round, then saw the second round come to an end with 16 seconds left due to his opponent being cut from a clash, leading the judges to score the round until that point, where they once again scored it in favor of Talley, 4-1, resulting in a 4-1 split decision. On Monday, the American will face Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay, 2018 Youth Olympic Champion, for a spot in Paris this summer.
“Big win tonight,” stated Talley post-fight. “I’m here working with the top guys, and we are getting it done and punching that ticket to Paris.”
Three members of Team USA will step into the ring tomorrow, and each victory will secure a spot in the quota-determining bout. Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) will box in the opening session, while Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.) and Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) will take part in the day’s second session.
Eight boxers arrived in Italy representing Team USA, hoping to punch their ticket to this summer’s 2024 Paris Olympic Games under USA Boxing National Head Coach Billy Walsh (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Joining Walsh on the coaching staff are National Resident Coach Timothy Nolan (Rochester, N.Y.), National Development Coach Chad Wigle (Colorado Springs, Colo.), and assistant coaches Adonis Frazier (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Christine Lopez (Rowlett, Texas).
The tournament is one of the largest Olympic qualifiers in boxing history. Over 600 boxers from 113 nations are competing at the E-Work Arena, hoping to grab one of the 49 quota places available for this summer’s Games.
Click here to stay updated on Team USA’s journey in Busto Arsizio, which includes athlete stories, daily schedules, live streams, and more.
Day 7 Results
54 kg: Shera Mae Patricio, Waianae, Hawaii/USA, dec. over Sofia Micaela Robles/ARG, 5-0
92 kg: Jamar Talley, Camden, N.J./USA, dec. over Narek Manasyan/ARM, 4-1
Day 8 Schedule
51 kg: Roscoe Hill, Spring, Texas/USA, vs. Huthaifa Eshish/JOR
57 kg: Alyssa Mendoza, Caldwell, Idaho/USA, vs. Hyejeon Jin/KOR
71 kg: Omari Jones, Orlando, Fla./USA, vs. Maghsoudi Mal Amiri Moslem/IRI
