COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The 2010 Women’s World Championships team members are currently undergoing final preparations before traveling to Dania, Fla., for their pre-event training camp, August 28-September 5. The U.S. squad will take part in a joint training with Great Britain prior to departing for Bridgetown, Barbados on September 6.
The talented squad will look to bring home the first women’s world championships gold medal for the United States since Devonne Canady claimed a world title in the heavyweight division at the first-ever women’s world championships event in Scranton, Pa., in 2001.
Over 300 boxers from 75 nations are scheduled to compete in the sixth edition of the AIBA Women’s World Championships, September 9-18 in Bridgetown, Barbados. The registration numbers are up more than 50 percent from the 2008 event in Ningbo, China, despite a reduction in weight divisions from 13 to 10. In addition, the number of nations has nearly doubled from 42 in 2008 to 75 in 2010.
The event will mark the first women’s world championships event since the IOC decision to add three women’s weight classes to the 2012 Olympic Games. Olympic competition will be contested in the flyweight (112 lbs), lightweight (132 lbs) and middleweight (165 lbs) in London.
The U.S. squad was determined by the 2010 USA Boxing National Championships in July in Colorado Springs, Colo., will all ten champions from the event competing in the 2010 Women’s World Championships. The team will be led by a talented and experienced group of coaches with 2004 Olympic Head Coach Basheer Abdullah (Fort Carson, Colo.) joining former professional boxing champion and elite women’s coach Bonnie Canino (Dania Beach, Fla.) and two-time Women’s World Championships coach Bruce Kawano (Pearl City, Hawaii).
2010 AIBA Women’s World Championships Schedule
Monday, September 6: International Delegations arrive in Barbados
Wednesday, September 8: Event Draw
Thursday, September 9-Tuesday, September 14 – Preliminary Competition
Wednesday, September 15 – Quarterfinal Competition
Thursday, September 16 – Rest Day
Friday, September 17 – Semifinal Competition
Saturday, September 18 – Championship Competition
2010 Women’s World Championships Team
Athletes
Jessica Ponce
Hometown: Napa, Calif.
Weight Class: Light flyweight
Weight: 106 lbs
Height: 5-1
Birth date: September 3, 1991
Coach: James Jiminez and Danny Corona
Club name: Rock Boxing
School: Full-time student at Napa Valley College
2010 Light Flyweight National Champion
Marlen Esparza
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Weight Class: Flyweight
Weight: 112 lbs
Height: 5-3
Birth date: July 29, 1989
Coach: Rudy Silva
Club: Elite Boxing
Five-time National Champion
2006 World Championships Bronze Medalist
Lauren Fisher
Hometown: Indiana, Pa.
Birth date: May 26, 1986
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Weight: 119 lbs
Height: 5-4
Coach: Dr. Richard Fanella
Club name: IUP Boxing Club
2010 Bantamweight National Champion
Jody Ann Weller
Hometown: Pomona, N.Y.
Birth date: July 5, 1978
Weight Class: Featherweight
Weight: 125 lbs
Height: 5-7
Coach: Hector Roca and Luigi Olcese
Club name: New York Boxing Gym
Occupation: Scientist
Queen Underwood
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Birth date: May 8,1984
Weight Class: Lightweight
Weight: 132 lbs
Height: 5-5
Coach: Cappy Kotz
Club name: Cappy’s Boxing
Occupation: Sprinkler pipe fitter(fire protection) Local 699
Four-time National Champion
Cashmere Jackson
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Birth date: August 16, 1983
Weight class: Light welterweight
Weight: 141 lbs
Coach: Renard Safo
Club name: Martin Luther King Civic Center
2010 Light Welterweight National Champion
Andrecia Wasson
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Birth date: June 23, 1992
Weight class: Welterweight
Weight: 152 lbs
Height: 5-6
Coach: Ser Garcia
Club name: Warrior Boxing Club
Two-time Welterweight National Champion
Tiffanie Hearn
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
Birth date: January 15, 1984
Weight class: Middleweight
Weight: 165 lbs
Height: 5-10
Coach: James Doolin
Club name: Louisville Legends
Two-time National Champion
Tyler Lord-Wilder
Hometown: Lansing, Mich.
Birth date: January 21, 1984
Weight class: Light heavyweight
Weight: 178 lbs
Two-time National Champion
2005 World Championships bronze medalist
Denise Rico
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Birth date: April 9, 1991
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Coach: Gilbert Valdez
Club: Solid Rock Boxing
2010 Heavyweight National Champion
Coaches
Basheer Abdullah
Hometown: Fort Carson, Colo. (originally from St. Louis)
Birth date: October 12, 1962
Club name: World Class Athlete Program gym at Fort Carson
*2008 Olympic Technical Advisor
*2007 Pan American Games Coach
*2004 Olympic Head Coach
*U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program Head Coach
Bonnie Canino
Hometown: Dania Beach, Fla.
Birth date: January 11, 1962
Club name: Canino’s Karate and Boxing Studio
*2008 Women’s World Championships Coach
*Hosted numerous Women’s National Championships
*Former World Boxing and Kickboxing Champion
*USA vs. Russia Dual Head Coach
Bruce Kawano
Hometown: Pearl City, Hawaii
Birth date: August 2, 1966
Club name: Kawano Boxing Club at Kalakaua Gym in Kalihi
*2006 Women’s World Championships Coach
*2005 Women’s World Championships Coach
*2002 Youth World Championships Coach
*Long-time Junior Olympic Program Coach
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).