(CHICAGO, ILL.) – The 2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team will complete their final preparations on Monday for the 2007 AIBA World Championships in Chicago, Ill., before participating in a unique opening ceremonies event in downtown Chicago. The 11-man team has been training at GOTIME Chicago since their arrival in the Windy City on Thursday, October 18..
The U.S. team will join the delegations from across the globe in parading north on State Street to the historic Chicago Theatre before enjoying the Opening Ceremonies for the event. U.S. Team co-captain Christopher Downs (Fort Carson, Colo.) will take the athletes’ oath on behalf of all the participants in the event.
With just under two months since being crowned the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for boxing in August, the 11 members of Team USA are raring to go for their first major international competition as a team.
The event will be the second World Championships for 2005 bronze medalists, flyweight Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and bantamweight Gary Russell, Jr. (Capitol Heights, Md.). 2007 Pan American Games light flyweight gold medalist Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas), welterweight silver medalist Demetrius Andrade (Providence, R.I.); and light heavyweight bronze medalist Christopher Downs (Fort Carson, Colo.) will all be boxing in their first AIBA Senior World Championships, but possess valuable experience from the 2007 Pan American Games.
They are joined by featherweight Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio); lightweight Sadam Ali (Brooklyn, N.Y.); light welterweight Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.); middleweight Shawn Estrada (Downey, Calif.); heavyweight Deontay Wilder (Tuscaloosa, Ala.); and super heavyweight Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.), who will all be boxing in their first men’s world championships in Chicago. Wilder is celebrating his 22nd birthday on Monday, and hopes to celebrate with a World Championships gold medal.
The United States team will be led by USA Boxing National Director of Coaching Dan Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Mike Stafford (Cincinnati, Ohio); and Willy Price (Peshtigo, Wis.). Joe Smith (Chattanooga, Tenn.) will serve as team manager with Jim McNally (Severna Park, Md.); Richard Neves (Pleasanton, Calif.) and Spencer Carpenter (West Branch, Mich.) working as the AIBA officials.
The all-important event draw will be conducted electronically on Tuesday with competition beginning at 2 p.m. at the UIC Pavilion. The city of Chicago has played an outstanding host to the participants from across the globe, and the U.S. team looks forward to the chance to compete in front of their hometown crowd.
2007 AIBA World Championships action will kick off on October 23 with preliminary round action, which will run through October 31. Quarterfinal competition will be contested on Thursday, November 1, semifinal round boxing will take place on Friday, November 2 and the event will close with championship action on Saturday, November 3.
The United States won two bronze medals at the last World Championships in 2005 in Mianyang, China. The U.S. team took home four gold medals at the last domestic World Championships in Houston, Texas in 1999.
2007 AIBA World Championships Schedule
Tuesday, October 23: Event Draw, Preliminaries – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 24: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Thursday, October 25: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Friday, October 26: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 27: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 28: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.
Monday, October 29: REST DAY
Tuesday, October 30: Preliminaries (Round of 16) – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 31: Preliminaries (Round of 16) – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thursday, November 1: Quarterfinals – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Friday, November 2: Semifinals – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 3: Finals – 2 p.m.
United States Team
Light flyweight/106 lbs: Luis Yanez, Duncanville, Texas
Flyweight/112 lbs: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio
Bantamweight/119 lbs: Gary Russell, Jr., Capitol Heights, Md.
Featherweight/125 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio
Lightweight/132 lbs: Sadam Ali, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Light welterweight/141 lbs: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif.
Welterweight/152 lbs: Demetrius Andrade, Providence, R.I.
Middleweight/165 lbs: Shawn Estrada, Downey, Calif.
Light heavyweight/178 lbs: Christopher Downs, Fort Carson, Colo.
Heavyweight/201 lbs: Deontay Wilder, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Super heavyweight/201+ lbs: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev.
National Director of Coaching: Dan Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Coach: Mike Stafford, Cincinnati, Ohio
Coach: Willy Price, Cincinnati, Ohio
Team Manager: Joe Smith, Chattanooga, Tenn.
AIBA Official: Jim McNally, Severna Park, Md.
AIBA Official: Rich Neves, Pleasanton, Calif.
AIBA Official: Spencer Carpenter, West Branch, Mich.