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+American boxers look to end gold medal drought in Athens+
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By David Gonzalez 
SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - The United States boxing team
will be under the microscope at the 2004 Olympic Games.

American boxers failed to win gold at the 2000 Games in Sydney,
and captured just one gold medal in both the 1992 (lightweight
Oscar de la Hoya) and 1996 (light middleweight David Reid)
tournaments.

In Sydney, the 12-man U.S boxing squad won four medals - two
silver, two bronze  failing to bring home a gold medal in boxing
for the first time since 1948 in London.  By contrast, Russia
won seven medals, including two gold, and fellow perennial power
Cuba captured six, with four gold.

"I know we will be scrutinized some, and I also know that the
Olympics can make or break your career," said U.S. boxing coach
Basheer Abdullah, who leads a team of nine into Athens.  "But
all the great coaches and athletes live for moments like this
with all its challenges.  I will simply be myself and again use
the things that got me this far."

The U.S squad is led by super heavyweight Jason Estrada of Rhode
Island.  The 24-year-old Estrada, who has lost just once since
2000, is a three-time U.S champion.  Last summer in the
Dominican Republic, he defeated Cuba's Michael Lopez to become
the first non-Cuban to win a gold in the super heavyweight
division at the Pan Am Games.

"I'm thinking about is getting through my first match in the
Olympics," Estrada said.  "This is a single-elimination
tournament - one loss and you're out - and nobody has an idea
who they're fighting.   You could draw the best opponent in the
first match.  (But) I've worked very hard."

Estrada lacks punching power but makes up for it with quick
hands.  He will face tough competition in a loaded super
heavyweight class, from reigning amateur world champ Alexander
Povetkin of Russia to 2000 Olympic silver and bronze medal
winners Mukhtar Dildabekov of Kazakhstan and Saidov Rustam of
Uzbekistan to Roberto Cammarelle of Italy.

"I keep hearing the same names as everybody, but you can't count
anybody out," Estrada said.  "Everybody here had to qualify and
they're competing for a medal.  I've never fought or seen the
Russian box.  If I face him, I hope we're both 100 percent and
may the best man win.  The Cuban has real boxing skills - the
best I've ever faced - but I'd rather be in against a boxer like
him than a puncher with less sills who makes the bout sloppy.  I
outboxed him in the Pan-Am Games."

The talented American foursome of light heavyweight Andre Ward,
middleweight Andre Dirrell, light welterweight Rock Allen and
flyweight Ronald Siler have excellent shots at winning medals in
Athens.

A two-time national champion, Ward has breezed through his
American competition and has not lost in ring since 1998.

Ward, who is from Oakland, California uses the inspiration of
his late father, Frank, and tapes a photo in his memory on his
boxing shoes.  However, he has limited international experience
in major tournaments and will be hard-pressed for the gold by
two-time and reigning 178-pound amateur world champion Evgeny
Makarenko of Russia.

A Michigan native, Dirrell possesses tremendous hand speed that
has led to numerous top honors over the years in various weight
classes stateside.  He owns victories over reigning 165-pound
world amateur champion Gennadi Golovkin of Kazakhstan in a dual
meet and recently defeated Cuban middleweight Olympic
representative Yordanis Despaigne in the finals at the Athens
Test Event in May.

"I really wanted to box the Cuban and I got the bout that I
wanted and I got the chance to face to new countries I hadn't
seen before," said Dirrell, who defeated his Cuban opponent,
41-28.  "It gives me a lot of confidence going into the
Olympics."

Allen, a Philadelphia native and a three-time U.S. amateur
champ, barely made it to Athens, where experience and overall
skills could take him far.  He had to finish in the top two in
the third and final qualifying tournament in Brazil to earn an
Olympic berth.

Standing in Allen's way may be talented light welterweight Willy
Blain of France, who was voted top fighter at the 2003 World
Championships in Thailand.  He hopes to finally break through
for a medal after a disappointing second-round exit in Sydney.

Siler, 24, has vast experience in dual meets and international
events but has had problems outside the ring, including a
17-month prison stint for driving a stolen vehicle and receiving
stolen property.  The 2004 U.S. flyweight champion has competed
in two world amateur championships, winning a bronze medal in
2001 as a light flyweight.

In Siler's path at 112 pounds will be 2000 Olympic bronze
medalist Jerome Thomas of France and Somjit Jongjohor of
Thailand.

The Americans also have a pair of talented teenagers who weren't
expected to make the squad in light flyweight Rau'Shee Warren
and welterweight Vanes Martirosyan.

The smallest and youngest member of the team, the speedy
17-year-old Warren was a surprise.  The Cincinnati native
defeated top-ranked American amateur Raynota Whitfield in the
Olympic Trials and later beat Diego Hurtado in the Box-offs.

A year ago, Warren was in the junior Olympic program fighting
against 15- and 16-year-olds but peaked in an Olympic year.  In
Athens, he will have his hands full with stronger, older and
internationally experienced boxers such as Yan Varela of Cuba,
Segey Kazakov of Russia and Zou Shiming of China.

The 18-year-old Martirosyan, who was born in Armenia and moved
to the U.S. when he was 4, four, also may be in over his head.
The Glendale, California native lacks global experience and
fights in a loaded 152-pound class.

Russian welterweight Oleg Saitov of Russia is the favorite as he
looks to join the late Laszlo Papp of Hungry and Cubans Teofilo
Stevenson and Felix Savon as three-time gold medalists.

American lightweight Vincente Escobedo of California and
heavyweight Devin Vargas of Ohio will need to the luck of the
"blind draw" to get into the medal rounds.  In the early rounds,
they hope to avoid Cuban boxers favored in their respective
weight classes.

Mario Kindelan of Cuba, who has won gold in the past two
Olympics and finished first in virtually every major tournament
over the years, is the lightweight favorite.  Two-time world
amateur champion Odlanier Solis is next in the long line of
traditional great Cuban heavyweights.  He won gold in impressive
fashion at last year's Pan Am Games and replaces Savon, who
replaced Stevenson.

One weight class has been eliminated from the 2000 Games, and
the Americans will not be represented in each division.  They
did not qualify boxers in the bantamweight (119 pounds) and
featherweight (125 pounds) divisions as Robert Benitez and
Mickey Bey Jr., respectively, failed to earn berths.

Bantamweight Guillermo Ridondeaux hopes to join compatriot
Kindelan as a repeat gold medal winner when the competition
begins at the Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall on August 14.

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