While women have only been included in Olympic boxing since 2012, there is now a generation of young athletes who have had the opportunity to grow up experiencing the Olympic ideals in real time. This Olympics may set the highest bar ever for women. Here is a preview of what the sport will look like at the Paris 2024 Games.
50 kilograms
favorite: Turkey's 2020 Olympic silver medalist, Buce Naz Cakiroglu, will pose a major challenge with her aggressive style and high volume. She remains undefeated in high-level world-class competition. Brazil's Caroline de Almeida, the 2023 Pan American Games winner, defeated Team USA's Jennifer Lozano in the final. China's Wu Yu will be a formidable test, having won against many big names in the weight class.
Dark Horse: Sabina Bobokulova of Uzbekistan has been very successful, winning multiple international tournaments, while Lozano has been dominating and successful in 2021 and 2022. Oyuntsetsegin Yeshgen of Mongolia is an aggressive puncher who has been very successful in international competitions, despite a recent loss to a top fighter like Yu.
Representative from the United States: Lozano entered the tournament as a wildcard and showed the versatility to secure victory, resembling fighters of the past like Duke Ragan, who defied the odds to win a silver medal at the last Olympic Games, despite facing the toughest of opponents.
Featured matchups: The quarterfinals will be Cakiroglu vs. Lozano, and the quarterfinals will be Yu vs. Sabina Bobokulova.
Potential gold medal matches: Wu vs Chakirol.
54 kilograms
favorite: Bulgaria's Stanimira Petrova has dominated international competition and is the favorite to win. Chinese Taipei's 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Xiaowen Fan stands out in her weight class at 5'9″. Serbia's Sara Cirkovic, whose only loss this year has been to Petrova, is also one to watch. Australia's Tiana Echegaray, Brazil's Tatiana Chagas and Colombia's Yeni Arias are all favored to win. One of these three should make it to the final.
Dark Horse: Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand, a professional boxer who performed well in the 2020 Olympics, could be a notable disruptor. Chol Mi Pan of North Korea is listed by BoxRec as the best fighter in his weight class, but has had very limited competition since the pandemic. Charlie Davison of Great Britain is a talented fighter who could win.
Representative from the United States: No American boxers qualified to compete in this division.
Featured matchups: Xiao Wen vs. Petrova in the round of 16, Jipong vs. Pang in the round of 16, and Etchegaray vs. Chagas in the semi-finals.
Potential gold medal matches: Petrova vs Chagas.
57 kilograms
favorite: Nesty Petecio of the Philippines, who won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics, is the favorite to win. Petecio's professional style and high volume of routines make her a formidable opponent. Italy's Irma Testa, a three-time world champion (2019, 2022, 2023), is also a strong contender. Colombia's Valeria Arboleda and Brazil's Jussiellen Romeu have both enjoyed success at the Pan American Games and internationally. France's Amina Zidani is a sure bet to make it to the final and could benefit from being from the home country of the tournament.
Dark Horse: Iranian Tina Rahimi, who is representing Australia, has performed well at international competitions and could have a strong showing. Team USA's Alyssa Mendoza had an impressive domestic run in 2021-2022, beating top competitors, and could be on the podium if she can regain that form. Other names to watch include 2024 European champion Svetlana Staneva of Bulgaria, and Puerto Rico's Ashley-Anne Lozada, who has performed well at international competitions.
Representative from the United States: Mendoza is an unknown quantity. She dominated at the U.S. Championships, beating out Olympic Trials winner Sierra Martinez to qualify. But Mendoza qualified at the last qualifying tournament, which doesn't reflect success for the U.S. Her weight class is waiting for someone to emerge and make it through, and Mendoza could be that fighter.
Featured matchups: Zidani vs. Petecio in the round of 16, Mendoza vs. Romeu in the round of 16, and Petecio vs. Testa in a rematch at the 2020 Olympics.
Potential gold medal matches: Romeu vs Petecio.
60 kilograms
favorite: Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira, who lost to Ireland's Kelly Harrington in the gold medal match at the 2020 Olympic Games, is the IBF women's lightweight titleholder and a dominant pro. A rematch of the last Olympic final is likely, but Ferreira, who has improved since her silver medal, will likely win. Harrington, who will be looking to win gold again, boasts a great style that will translate well to amateur and professional competition. France's 2016 Olympic gold medalist Estelle Mosely is looking to repeat her Olympic magic after her pro career stalled. Despite losing to Harrington in the international bout, she has the advantage over most of her competition.
Dark Horse: Team USA's Jajaira Gonzalez features a pro-style aggressive forward play that overwhelms her opponents. The question is whether she can maintain this approach against the elites in the division in this short tournament. Gonzalez, who also holds a Pan American Games silver medal, has a chance to win a medal. China's Wenlu Yang, a gold medalist at the 2022 Asian Games, is a formidable candidate who may be beaten by the top fighters in the division. Nigeria's Cynthia Ogunsemirore, who has limited amateur experience at the world level, has been impressive. It's a sink-or-swim moment for her, but she could emerge as a surprise contender.
Representative from the United States: Gonzalez has a realistic chance of winning a medal and should be competing against one of the biggest names in the tournament. This is one of the most powerful brackets in the Olympics and it will be a tough test facing former gold medalist Mosely in the first round.
Featured matchups: The round of 32 bout could feature Gonzalez vs. Mossery, while the semifinal could feature a rematch of the 2020 Olympic gold medal bout between Harrington and Ferreira.
Potential gold medal matches: Yan vs Ferreira.
66 kilograms
favorite: Two will compete for the top spot. Turkey's aggressive Busenaz Surmeneli won silver at the 2020 Olympics, dominating most opponents on the way to the final. Algeria's Imane Kherif won every event Surmeneli didn't, and these two rank high among the athletes in the weight class. China's Liu Yang is a big, tall, clumsy fighter who won a medal at the 2020 Olympics. Team USA's Morelle McCain may be the most grounded fighter in the weight class and is a favorite to medal, but Kherif has been her weakness so far.
Dark Horse: Italy's Angela Carini has plenty of experience and a win over McCain, but was stopped by Surmenelli in 2022, raising durability concerns. Brazil's Barbara Maria dos Santos is also a notable player, with her only major losses coming to Khelif and Australian veteran Kay Scott. Santos comes from a strong Brazilian program that regularly produces medallists. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rosie Eccles of Great Britain has plenty of experience and often reaches the semi-finals at major events but has struggled to progress beyond that.
Representative from the United States: Morel McCain has a good path to the podium and is likely to win a medal, even a gold medal.
Featured matchups: Surmenelli vs Eccles in the round of 16, and Surmenelli vs Kheriff in the semi-finals.
Potential gold medal matches: Sirmenelli v. McCain.
75 kilograms
favorite: Canada's Tamara Thibaut is the gold medal favorite, with consistent wins and a more versatile skill set than the other competitors, while Ireland's Aoife O'Rourke is on an impressive winning streak at high-level competition and is a formidable threat, and China's Li Qiang is also a strong contender, having won a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics despite her awkward style.
Dark Horse: Mexico's Xitlali Ortiz previously competed in the United States Boxing Federation but has shifted her focus to Mexican qualifiers since the pandemic. Known for her power and ability to hurt her opponents, Ortiz needs to increase her punch volume, which is crucial in amateur boxing. Australia's Kaitlyn Parker has the potential to move up the ranks with her combination punches, athleticism and overall ability. Cindy Ngamba, who represents the Refugee Olympic Team, has only lost to the best and has a number of international wins. She could have a breakout shot at a big event.
Representative from the United States: The United States failed to qualify for the division.
Featured matchups: The semifinals will feature Thibaut vs. O'Rourke, and the opening match will be Ortiz vs. Parker.
Potential gold medal matches: Thibaut vs. Qian.
Lucas Ketel is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). He can be reached at X @LukieBoxing.
