History was all over 2011 for the sport of boxing. Another landmark was reached at the Olympic Boxing Test Event in the ExCeL Arena of London where women-s boxers made their debut under the Olympic rings.
Women's boxing is developing very fast. Since the International Olympic Committee decided to integrate women's boxing in the Olympic program, the number of boxers have significantly increased in every part of the world.
At the Olympic Boxing Test Event, 22 women were invited by LOCOG to represent four continents and most of the top boxing nations such as China, Russia, India, Great Britain, United States of America, France, Brazil and Kazakhstan.
Russian veteran Olesya Gladkova showed her best form claiming the gold medal of the flyweight class. She was just too strong for British Nina SmithChinese Lin Jinmei and European Championships silver medallist, French Sarah Ourahmoune.
In the flyweight class, five-time AIBA Women's World Champion, Indian living legend Chungneijang Mary Kom was unexpectedly defeated by Argentina's Paola Benavidez in the quarter-finals. Despite her loss, Mary Kom is a top fighter and one of the biggest favourite in the major events of 2012.
The host nation's first gold medal was secured by Natasha Jonas who never had the chance to compete in any worldwide event before. But she looked very capable of qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games. She eliminated big names such as the best US boxer, AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Queen Underwood, AIBA Women's Youth World Champion Anastasiya Belyakova of Russia and finally the two-time AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships silver medallist, Chinese Cheng Dong.
Great Britain's biggest Olympic hope in women's boxing is EU Champion Savannah Marshall who was silver medallist at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships Barbados 2010. To match the Olympic categories, she moved from welterweight to middleweight this year and seems now even stronger.
The 21-year-old boxer easily dominated Australia's Naomi Fischer-Rasmussen but then had two tough battles against US Franchon Crews and Asian Champion, Kazakh Dariga Shakimova. In the absence of current AIBA Women's World Champion Roselli Feitosa, Brazil sent another top athlete, multiple Pan-American Champion Andreia Bandeira, to compete in London. She secured a bronze at the ExCeL Arena.
Copyright © 2010 AIBA http://www.aiba.org