(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Team USA has completed their long journey to Milan, Italy for the 2009 AIBA World Championships, September 1-12, at the Mediolanum Forum. The boxers took part in a week-long training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, August 17-24, prior to departing for Italy, where they are currently completing their preparations. The official event weigh-ins and draw will take place on Monday, August 31 with preliminary competition running from September 1-6, and quarterfinal action being contested September 7-9 prior to a rest day on September 10. Semifinal boxing will take place in two sessions and two rings on September 11, and the event will conclude with two sessions of championship round action on September 12..
Over 720 boxers from more than 130 countries are registered to compete in the bi-annual event, which features the top amateur boxers from across the globe. The United States claimed two gold medals at the 2007 AIBA World Championships, in Chicago, Ill., with flyweight Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and welterweight Demetrius Andrade (Providence, R.I.) both winning world titles on their home soil.
The United States team will be led by 2004 Olympic Coach Anthony Bradley (Clayton, N.C.); Patrick Barry (Las Vegas, Nev.); Augustine Sanchez (Las Vegas, Nev.); and Ron Simms (Camp Lejeune, N.C.). Nick Cimmento (Fort Mills, N.C.) and Darryl Van Note (Otis Orchards, Wash.) will work as the Team Manager and Team Assistant respectively, and Dr. Robin Goodfellow (Albion, Mich.) will join the squad as the Team Physician.
The 2009 World Championships is the first world championships event to be contested under the three, three-minute round format, reinstituted following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics were contested at four, two-minute rounds.
The official entry list of all of the competitors by country is attached to this email. For the most up-to-date results and information on the 2009 AIBA World Championships, go to www.aiba.org.
2009 World Championships Team Bios
Miguel Cartagena
Weight class: Light flyweight – 106 lbs/48 kg
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Coach: Javier Varela
Height: 5-4
2009 National Champion
Louie Byrd
Weight class: Flyweight – 112 lbs/51 kg
Hometown: Denver, Colo.
Coach: Jeff Byrd
Height: 5-2
Boxing Club: Backyard Brawlers
Two-time National Champion
Two-time National Golden Gloves Champion
Jesus Magdaleno
Weight class: Bantamweight – 119 lbs/54 kg
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Coach: Pat Barry
Height: 5-4
Boxing Club: Barry’s Boxing
2009 National Champion
Defeated 2007 World Champion and two-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren to claim his national championship
Kevin Rivers
Weight class: Featherweight – 125 lbs/57 kg
Hometown: Landover, Md.
Coach: Marshall Cunningham
Height: 5-7
Boxing Club: Headbangers
2009 National Champion
2008 Youth World Championships Team Member
Duran Caferro
Weight class: Lightweight – 132 lbs/60 kg
Hometown: Helena, Mont.
Coach: Duran Caferro, Sr.
Height: 6-0
Boxing Club: H-Town Eagles
2009 National Champion
Frankie Gomez
Weight class: Light welterweight – 141 lbs/64 kg
Hometown: Broadway, Calif.
Coach: Ronnie Rivota
Height: 5’-8
Boxing Club: LAPD PAL
2009 National Champion
Errol Spence
Weight class: Welterweight – 152 lbs/69 kg
Hometown: Desoto, Texas
Coach: Gene Vivero
Height: 5-0
Club: Vivero’s Boxing Gym
2009 National Champion
2008 Under 19 National Champion
Terrell Gausha
Weight class: Middleweight – 165 lb/75 kg
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Coach: Renard Saffo
Height: 5-10
2009 National Champion
Robert Brant
Weight class: Light heavyweight – 178 lbs/81 kg
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
Coach: Larry Goodman
Height: 5-11
Boxing Club: White Bear Lake Golden Gloves
2009 National Champion
2008 Under 19 National Champion
Jordan Shimmell
Weight class: Heavyweight – 201 lbs/91 kg
Hometown: Hudsonville, Mich.
Coach: Dennis Shimmell
Height: 6-3
2009 National Champion
2009 National Golden Gloves champion
Michael Hunter
Weight class: Super heavyweight – 201+ lbs/91+ kg
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Height: 6-2
Two-time National Champion
2007 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion
2007 World Championships quarterfinalist
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). It is responsible for the selection and management of the United States Olympic Boxing Team, and for the governance and oversight of USA Boxing’s national organization of 38,000 members, 1,400 individual boxing clubs, and 1,600 sanctioned events annually.