In Paris, France, 71 kg boxer Omari Jones faced off against Rami Kiwan of Bulgaria and Kan Chia Wei of Chinese Taipei, securing victories in both fights with a score of 5-0. Following these triumphs, the 21-year-old athlete from Orlando, Florida, competed against Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev of Uzbekistan, experiencing a tight contest in which he lost with a score of 3-2, ultimately earning a bronze medal. USA Boxing noted that Jones “needed a knockout or a 10-8 score from one of the judges to sway the decision in his favor.” Omari’s exceptional performance made him the sole boxer among the eight Americans in the sport to bring home a medal, marking a historic accomplishment as the first American boxer to do so since Andre Ward’s gold win at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Photo: Brian Taylor, USA Boxing
The People’s Republic of China’s Wu Yu claimed Olympic victory in the women’s 50kg boxing category at Paris 2024 on Friday, 9 August. Wu clinched the gold medal with a 4-1 win against Türkiye’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu at Stade Roland-Garros, leaving Cakiroglu with the silver. Following the judges’ decision, an exuberant Wu celebrated by dancing around the ring.
“Today I gave them a dance. I love to dance,” said Wu. “This is my first time at an Olympic Games, and I’m thrilled to have won the gold medal. I’ve put in a lot of hard work, and it has paid off. I secured the gold for my team, my coach, my country.”
Joining the national team as a sparring partner at the age of 16, the late-blooming 29-year-old Wu achieved gold on her Olympic debut, becoming only the second Chinese woman to accomplish this feat.
Picture by Richard Pelham / Getty Images