USA, Brazil and Cuba claim final three Olympic tickets at 1st AIBA Americas Olympic Qualifier

18.03.2008

Tournament page

Pic: 57kg Winner's podium: Gold-Idel Torriente(CUB), Silver-Luis E Porozo Mina(ECU), Bronze-Robson Conceicao (BRA), Roberto Navarro(DOM)

USA's Javier Molina, Washington Silva from Brazil and Robert Alfonso Acea from Cuba booked the last three Beijing-bound tickets on offer at the 1st AIBA Americas Olympic Qualification Tournament in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago as the finals were completed on Tuesday.


After Monday's semifinals where 20 boxers boxed their way to Beijing, three vacancies remained unfilled with 64kg and 81kg bronze medal bouts and the +91kg final offering the last Olympic tickets at this tournament.


In the 64kg third-place decider, Molina strolled to a 20:5 win over Canada's Kevin Bizier, thanks to an impressive third round where he charged from 6:0 up to 16:3 before tying up the bout 20:5. Molina's win saw him join his American teammates Sadam Ali (60kg) and Deontay L Wilder (91kg) who also qualified in Trinidad and Tobago and Luis Yanez (48kg), Raushee Warren (51kg), Gary Russell (54kg), Raynell Williams (57kg) and Demetrius Andrade (69kg) who all booked Olympic tickets at the AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007. 


Meanwhile, Brazil's Silva was too good for Molina's teammate Christopher Downs in the 81kg bronze medal bout carving out a 9-2 lead after three rounds before clinching a 10:3 victory to become Brazil's first Olympic qualified boxer.


The final bout of the night served up a gem and the last Olympic ticket. The +91kg final saw 2007 Pan American champion Robert Alfonso Acea become Cuba's ninth Olympic qualified boxer with a 12.4 victory over USA's Michael S Hunter II.


The victory completed an incredible return to the international arena for Cuba having missed the AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007. From 11 boxers, Cuba collected eight gold medals and nine Olympic tickets and was awarded the best team trophy of the tournament. Ecuador, Venezuela (who had two boxers qualify at the AIBA World Championships Chicago 2007) and USA were next best with three qualified boxers apiece.