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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Featherweight Yarisel Ramirez was added to the Tokyo Olympics boxing event Saturday, turning into the tenth member of the U.S. group to qualify.
She had already traveled to Japan in anticipation of gaining a late slot, and information of her addition by USA Boxing set off a celebration with her teammates.
Ramirez is the fourth American fighter to be awarded a late place on the video games. After the U.S. initially confronted the prospect of heading to Tokyo with its smallest group in Olympic historical past, USA Boxing truly could have two extra boxers in Tokyo than it had in Rio 5 years in the past.
“Yarisel has been on this closing coaching camp working extraordinarily onerous, ready for this chance if her identify have been to be known as,” stated Mike McAtee, USA Boxing’s government director. “Throughout this complete course of, Yarisel has confirmed nothing however maturity, willpower and the drive to meet her Olympic desires.”
Ramirez is getting one of many world qualifier allocation slots declined by Costa Rica’s Julianna Rodriguez and Argentina’s Leonela Sánchez, in keeping with the web site of the Boxing Process Power working the Tokyo event. Sánchez gained the gold medal on the 2019 Pan American Video games whereas Ramirez gained bronze.
The 22-year-old Ramirez was born in Cuba, and she or he lives and trains in Las Vegas. Her first battle can be July 24, the opening day of competitors in Tokyo and precisely two weeks from her addition to the sector.
“By way of onerous work, perseverance and religion, you possibly can stay your desires,” Ramirez stated.
With Ramirez’s addition, USA Boxing is presently the one group with a consultant in all 5 ladies’s divisions in Tokyo. The Olympics added two weight courses — together with the 57-kilogram (125.7 kilos) division, Ramirez’s featherweight, class — and elevated the overall variety of ladies from 36 to 100 for the game’s third journey to the Olympics.
The U.S. is probably the most profitable nation in Olympic boxing historical past, profitable 50 gold medals and 114 whole medals. However primarily because of qualification modifications attributable to the coronavirus pandemic, solely six People — and simply two males — have been within the preliminary model of the Tokyo Olympic discipline two months in the past.
Three American males have been added to the sector final month after being awarded world qualifier allocation slots: middleweight Troy Isley, featherweight Duke Ragan and light-weight Keyshawn Davis, who is probably going the People’ finest gold medal hope among the many males.
“We’ve acquired the group again collectively once more,” U.S. head coach Billy Walsh instructed The Related Press after the three males have been added to the sector. “That is the group I believed I used to be going to have a few years in the past, once we have been planning on being the most effective groups within the Olympic Video games. They’re all nice group gamers who don’t disrupt the chemistry. They’ve come again in and slot in rather well.”
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Extra AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2020-tokyo-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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