For the first time ever the Australian men’s boxing team will field boxers in all 10 weight classes while Naomi-Lee-Fischer-Rasmussen will be Australia’s lone female in the competition.
The team will be coached by Don Abnett and Mick Daly, and have been training overseas for six weeks before returning to the AIS to finalise their preparations for the Games which start in late July in London, England.
FULL AUSTRALIAN OLYMPIC TEAM FOR RIO 2016
Women’s 75kg: Naomi-Lee-Fischer-Rasmussen
Naomi-Lee-Fischer-Rasmussen will be our countries lone female boxing representative in the debut games for women’s boxing. A ninth place finish at the World Championships in China earlier this year secured the Western Australian a spot in the team.
She was due to be accompanied by Bianca Elmir but the Canberra based boxer tested positive for drugs in the lead up to the tournament.
Fischer-Rasmussen was one of the world’s best at 69kg but after it was announced that 75kg would be her weight class at the Olympics she stepped up in 2010 and is now ranked 27th in the world.
Verdict: With not much form to go on, Fischer-Rasmussen should improve on her ninth place finish at the World Championships.
49kg: Billy Ward
2012 Australian and Oceania Championships winner, Billy Ward will be Australia’s lightest boxer heading to London. The 18 year old from Gladstone, Brisbane backed up a third place at the 2011 Youth National Championships to be the best 49kg boxer in the area in 2012.
Verdict: Billy will be up against it in London and will struggle to make it far in the Light Flyweight division but look out for his name in years to come as he grows in experience.
52kg: Jackson Woods
19 year old Woods of Tasmania has had an impressive amateur record where he has represented Australia in the lighter weight divisions since 2009.
He represented Australia in the AIBA Youth World Championships in 2009 where he went down in the quarter-finals which he followed up with making the semi-finals at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011.
The Australian and Oceania Champion surprised most in Canberra when he defeated #26 world ranked Andrew Moloney to win the Australian Championships. Woods brings good form to London after winning bronze at the 50th Belgrade Winner Tournament in Lithuania.
Verdict: Look for Jackson to make a charge into the quarter-finals and a good draw could see him make the final four
56kg: Ibrahim Balla
Exciting Bantamweight talent, Ibby Balla brings great form into London with some impressive results. Most recently the 21 year old Australia and Oceania champion picked up a silver medal in Lithuania.
Balla represented Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Dehli where he was knocked out in the second preliminary round. His best tournament to date was at the 2009 AIBA President’s Cup where he picked up a Bronze medal.
Verdict: Look for Balla to improve on past AIBA tournament performances in London and is expected to be in the top 16 in his weight.
60kg: Luke Jackson
Boxing captain and #8 world ranked 60kg boxer, Luke Jackson will be Australia’s most experienced boxer in London. The 27 year old has had over 125 amateur fights and will be looking to improve on his second round exit at the 2011 AIBA World Championships.
Jackson has represented Australia twice at the Commonwealth Games winning the bronze medal at the 2006 edition in Melbourne but could only manage a fifth place in New Dehli. A silver medal at the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament in Lithuania will have Jackson full of confidence heading into London.
Verdict: Look for Jackson to live up to his ranking and be inside the final eight and possibly push for a semi-final spot.
64kg: Jeff Horn
Jeff Horn only took up boxing at the age of 18, but comes into the Olympic team as one of the big prospects.
In qualifying for the tournament Horn has stopped five of his seven opponents, and had an unlucky draw at last year’s AIBA World Boxing Championships, where he drew the eventual winner in the second round.
Horn has the form coming into London, he won silver at the ‘Algridas Socikas’ in Lithuania heading into the training camp at the AIS.
Verdict: With the right draw Horn should beat his Round of 32 finish at the World Championships and being one of the dark horses in the team, he could push into the final eight
69kg: Cameron Hammond
2010 Commonwealth Games representative, Hammond won his first Australian title as a 19 year old in 2007 and will finally get a chance to compete at the Olympics. He is ranked #7 in the world at his weight and recently won gold at the ‘Algridas Socikas’ tournament in Lithuania.
He missed out on his chance to qualify for the World Championships after finishing third at the Australian Titles but he will be eager to prove himself in London.
Verdict: Hammond should live up to his world ranking in London and with a bit of lucky he could scrape into the final four with a chance to fight off for the bronze medal.
75kg: Jesse Ross
Ross is one of the big improvers in this Australian team, after testing the waters at 69kg last year he has returned to 75kg where he tasted success, winning the Australian and Oceania titles.
The bronze medallist at the 2008 Youth Commonwealth Games finished fifth at the Gee-Bee Tournament in Helsinki, Finland last year which prompted a move up in weight.
Verdict: It will be a tough ask for Ross in London but the Nerang PCYC trained boxer should finish in the top half of his division.
81kg: Damien Hooper
Hooper will carry Australia’s boxing medal hopes on his shoulders when he steps into the ring in London. Hooper is the number two world ranked 81kg boxer and was very unlucky not to make the final at the recent World Championships.
Hooper didn’t have the perfect preparation being sent home from the AIS training camp for general behaviour breaches.
After rturning home for a couple of days he returned to the camp and is in career best form, winning the Belgrade tournament in Lithuania earlier this year, as he looks to become the first Australian boxer to win an Olympic medal.
Verdict: Hooper is our best boxing medal chance at the games and if he boxes to his ability he will go close to winning gold in his weight class.
91kg: Jai Opetaia
17 year old Opetaia recently won gold at the World Junior Championship’s and is one of Australia’s brightest talents of the future in the boxing ranks and will be there in London to make a name for himself.
Although not given a chance by many, the teenager has recently returned to the Australian training camp after spending a couple of weeks sparring at the Mayweather Gym in the States.
Jai has been used as sparring partners for the likes of Danny Green and Anthony Mundine, and he will be a big part of the next generation of Australian boxing.
Verdict: Although not likely to win, Opetaia will be looking to pull off some wins as he looks to build experience for the next Olympic games if he chooses to stay in the amateur ranks.
91kg: Johan Linde
Linde will be Australia’s heaviest boxer in London as the Super Heavyweight, looks to carry on his form from the trials. Linde gave up boxing in 2004 after burning himself out and returned in 2010.
He booked himself a ticket on the plane to London defeating the former world-rated Australian champion, Alexey Mukhin, then knocked out the former Oceania champion in just 20 seconds earlier this year.
Verdict: Linde is one of the big improvers in the team and is an outside chance of finishing in the top half of the draw.
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