2024 USA Boxing Olympic Team

The Paris Olympics are about a month away and today we're going to look at the Olympic Boxing Team. As we all know, instead of a men's and women's teams, its men and women now. Let's see who qualified to represent the team this coming July.

110 lbs - Jennifer Lozano

21 year old southpaw Jennifer Lozano won the Women's Junior Olympics back in 2016 and the Women's Youth National Championship in 2020. She then won the National Championship in 2021 followed by the 2022 Elite National Championship and repeating as National champion in 2022. She took the silver in the 2023 Pan-Am Games and looks to make an impact come July in Paris.

112 lbs - Roscoe Hill

28 year old Roscoe Hill has been an amateur boxing going all the way back to 2009. In 2010 he was the USA Junior National Champion although he lost to Anthony Herrera in the 2020 Olympic Trials. This time around he won the Silver Medal in the 2021 Elite World Championships and the gold medal in the 2022 American Elite Championships. In the Olympic Qualifier, he lost to Nijat Huseynov in the quarterfinals but rebounded to win all three qualifier bouts in Thailand to make it to the Olympics. Realistically he may not have a chance but at least he got there. As a 28 year old amateur, what better way to bow out than with an Olympic medal?

125 lbs - Alyssa Mendoza

Representing the women's side is their 125 pound candidate , 20 year old Alyssa Mendoza. She made her amateur debut at the age of 13 in 2016 and made it to the semi-finals of the 2018 Women's Junior Olympics at 14. In 2019 she won the USA Western Regional Women's Junior Open then won the Eastern Regional later that year. She capped off 2019 by winning the Women's Youth National Championship. In 2022 she won the National Golden Gloves Tournament and the National Championship, avenging her 2021 loss to Yoseline Perez in the process. She won all four of her Olympic Qualifier bouts in both in Italy and Thailand to make the team. She competed in an international tournament in the Czech Republic and her only loss was to amateur veteran Irish boxer Michaela Walsh. She has as good a shot as any to do some damage in Paris.

125 lbs - Jahmal Harvey

The men's featherweight representative is 21 year old Jahmal Harvey. Harvey won the gold medal in the Junior Olympics back in 2016 and 2018. He also took the gold in the Youth Nationals in 2018. His first international exposure was winning the 2019 Emil Jechev Memorial Tournament over in Bulgaria. Back in the States, he repeated as Youth National Champion in 2019 then won the National Championship in 2020. In 2021 he was the youngest World Elite Champion at 18 and won the Grand Prix title in 2023. He is the current Pan Am Games champion as well so he's a heavy favorite to win a medal in Paris. Good luck to him.

132 lbs - Jajaira Gonzalez

The veteran on the women's side is 27 year old Jajaira Gonzalez. She was a teenage phenom, winning the AIBA Women's Junior championship in 2013 and 2014 along with the 2014 Youth National Championship & the gold medal in the 2014 Youth Olympics. She three-peated the AIBA Women's Juniors in 2015 and repeated the Youth Nationals that year as well. She placed second in the 2016 Olympic Trials, losing only to current pro boxing star Mikaela Mayer. Once again she won the Women's Nationals in 2017 but retired after losing in the Nationals in 2018. In 2021 she made a comeback, winning the National Championship and winning the gold in the 2022 Pan-Am Games. She just barely made the Olympic team after a loss to Beatriz Ferreira in the qualifiers but she's in it. For generations it was American kids against communist country professionals, now Team USA has experienced veterans such as Roscoe Hill and Gonzalez to turn the tables.

145 lbs - Morelle McCane

The elder stateswoman of the team is 29 year old Morelle McCane. She was the 2018 Golden Gloves champion and was the National Championship runner up that year. She repeated as Golden Gloves champion in 2019 and won the National championship in 2020. She won her third Golden Gloves title in 2021 and second National championship that year as well. She won her fourth Golden Gloves tournament in 2022 and the GeeBee tournament in Finland in 2023. Also in 2023 she took second in the Grand Prix tournament in the Czech Republic and finished second at the Pan-Am games. She's going to have to step it up if she hopes to win a medal against the best in the world.

156 lbs - Omari Jones

Team middleweight is 21 year old Omari Jones. In 2018 he won the silver medal in the 2018 Junior Olympics and lost to current pro boxing prospect Xander Zayas a few months later. He won the 2020 National Championship and won the silver in the 2021 Elite World Championships. He won the GeeBee Championship in Finland and the Grand Prix Championship in the Czech Republic in 2023. Then he won all four bouts in Italy to qualify for the Olympics. Not only does he have international experience, he has international success as well. He could be their best chance at a gold this year.

220 lbs - Joshua Edwards

24 year old Joshua Edwards may be last on the list, but he's not least. At 19 years old he was the Golden Gloves novice champion in Houston and in 2021 he was the National Champion. He won the gold medal in the 2023 Pan-Am Games and the bronze medal at the Grand Prix championship. He comes into Paris with momentum, let's see if that translates to international success.

So there's your 8 representatives for the Olympic team, 4 men and 4 women. Team USA hasn't won a gold medal since Andre Ward 20 years ago, they're due. Good luck to them all.