The Cincinnati native, a 2007 AIBA World Champion, will make history in London when he becomes the first ever American boxer to compete in three Olympic Games. A gold medal contender in the Flyweight (52kg) category, Raushee Warren has also been handed the team captaincy and his experience could be vital in leading such a young group into competition on the biggest stage of all.
25-year-old Warren competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics, when he was the youngest boxer in the tournament at just 17, and unfortunately was eliminated in the first preliminary round by China's Shiming Zou, who went on to claim the bronze medal that year. A four-time National Champion, Raushee Warren made his big breakthrough when he took the AIBA World Boxing Championships title in Chicago in 2007 before qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where he once again lost in the first round. There was great disappointment following that defeat as Warren was showboating in the closing stages, having thought that he had that contest won.
Now four years later, a more mature and more focused Warren is planning to go all the way in London. He is expecting some tough opposition and knows that claiming gold in the Flyweight (52kg) category will be extremely hard with some quality fighters all vying for top spot. He can expect to be challenged by Great Braitain's Andrew Selby, Russia's Misha Aloian, Cuba's Robeisy Ramirez, Italy's Vincenzo Picardi and Uzbekistan's Jasurbek Latipov who each have eyes on the top prize.
The skilful southpaw is joined in the US Olympic boxing team by some talented fighters, with a further eight men and three women also looking to lay their claim to medals in the British capital.
US National Olympic Trials winner and current Panamerican Women's Champion, 17-year-old Claressa Shields is an immensely gifted fighter and a superstar in the making with only one career defeat to her name. The Middleweight (75kg) orthodox fighter is primed to set the world alight when women's boxing makes its debut at the London 2012 Olympic Games. She was unlucky to come up against Savannah Marshall in her first bout at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships Qinhuangdao 2012 in May, losing to the Brit who went on to win the competition. When Shields takes to the ring at the ExCeL London, she will become the youngest US boxer at the Olympic Games in more than forty years. Her blend of power and skill make her a strong gold medal contender.
Completing the trio of athletes in the women's draw at the Olympic Games are Lightweight (60kg) Quanitta Lee 'Queen' Underwood and Flyweight (51kg) star, multiple Panamerican Champion Marlen Esparza. Both were bronze medallists at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in the past and have big medal aspirations as well.
In the men's draw, former AIBA World Championships quarter-finalist, 24-year-old Michael S Hunter II is the big Heavyweight (91kg) hope. A member of his national squad since 2006, the speedy fighter now has the experience to secure a medal in London after winning the AIBA American Olympic Qualifying Event Rio 2012 where he was the dominant force after coming back from injury.
Multiple-National Champion Errol Spence has been involved with the US squad since after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and achieved his career highlight in Baku last year when the Welterweight (69kg) boxer eliminated Hungary's former AIBA World Ranking No.1 Balazs Bacskai. In perfect preparation for the Olympic Games, Spence defeated Russia's AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Andrey Zamkovoy at the Chemistry Cup in March.
Bantamweight (56kg) No.1 Joseph Diaz was a quarter-finalists at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011 but lost against the eventual winner so will retain high hopes that after a year of consolidation, the teenager can go much further at the Olympic Games. Multiple-National Lightweight (60kg) Champion Jose Carlos Ramirez and US Marine Light Welterweight (64kg) Jamel Herring will both be travelling to the British capital looking to cause a few upsets. Middleweight (75kg) No.1 Terrell Gausha, fresh from taking gold at the AIBA American Olympic Qualifying Event Rio 2012, will also be looking to make an impact and has the array of skills to really cause his rivals problems.
US Light Heavyweight (81kg) No.1 Marcus Browne, who was also crowned at the AIBA American Olympic Qualifying Event Rio 2012, will be travelling to London where the minimum expectation is a bronze medal. The strong puncher will have some serious competition but he has it in him to do really well. Completing the men's line-up is newcomer Dominic Breazale, who finds himself in the extremely tough Super Heavyweight (+91kg) category, but with a thunderous haymaker in his locker, do not count him out.
Four new assistant coaches were added to the US Olympic Boxing Team just before the Games following the election of Dr Charles Butler as President of USA Boxing. Basheer Abdullah will continue be the Head Coach and is joined by Anthony Chase, Christy Halbert, Charles Leverette and Gloria Peek who will ensure that each boxer is fit and raring to go when the London 2012 Olympic Games get underway.
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