At the London 2012 Games the sport of boxing will have women’s events for the first time since 1904
2012 Summer Olympic Boxing Events Key facts
Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 12 August
Gold medals: 13 (10 men, 3 women)
Athletes: 286 (250 men, 36 women)
Boxing: A history
Boxing is the original combat sport. It featured in the ancient Olympic Games, when opponents would fight each other with strips of leather wrapped around their fists.
After centuries of bloody – and sometimes deadly – bareknuckle fights in England, the sport was eventually regulated by the Queensbury rules, created by the Marquess of Queensbury in 1867.
Today’s best boxers fight their way to the top through a combination of strength and skill.
Boxing at the Games
Although it was one of the most popular events at the ancient Olympic Games, organisers of the first modern Games thought Boxing was too dangerous to be included in the programme.
It was eventually brought in by public demand, and has been part of every Games since Antwerp 1920.
The Games has given fight fans their first chance to see many great boxers, including the young Cassius Clay Junior, later known as Muhammad Ali.
Women’s Boxing made a brief appearance, as a demonstration sport, at the 1904 Olympic Games. Following an historic decision of the IOC Executive Board on 13 August 2009, Women’s Boxing will be included in the 2012 Olympic Games.
How to play – and win
Boxing at the Olympic Games is governed by the sport’s amateur body, AIBA. It has different rules and equipment from Professional Boxing.
Male Olympic boxers will compete in 10 weight classes, from light flyweight (for boxers under 49 kilograms) to super heavyweight (over 91 kilograms).
Male bouts take place over three three-minute rounds. Boxers score points for every punch they land on their opponent’s head or upper body.
Female Olympic boxers will compete in three weight classes: flyweight (for boxers under 51 kilograms); lightweight (for boxers under 60 kilograms); and middleweight (for boxers under 75 kilograms).
Female bouts take place over four two-minute rounds, with points awarded in the same way as the men’s.
Jargon buster
* Throw in the towel: The traditional way to concede defeat; a boxer’s assistant will throw a towel into the ring when he feels his man can no longer continue.
* Southpaw: A left-handed boxer.
* Belt: An imaginary line around a boxer’s midriff, below which his opponent is not allowed to hit.
* Jab: A straight, arm-length punch thrown from the boxer’s leading hand.
* Uppercut: An upwards-thrown punch designed to hit an opponent’s chin.
* Hook: A sideways-thrown punch in which the boxer swings his arm from the shoulder with the elbow bent.
* Slap: An illegal blow landed with the open part of the glove (not the knuckle area).
* Standing 8 count: A precautionary measure taken by the referee to allow a boxer to recover after receiving a heavy blow/series of blows.
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