(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The United States’ 17-year-old light welterweight phenom Frankie Gomez (Los Angeles, Calif.) has boxed his way to the final round at the 2009 AIBA World Championships in Milan, Italy. Gomez recorded his fifth straight victory at the Mediolanum Forum, pulling out an 8-7 decision over the far more experienced two-time Olympian Gyula Kate of Hungary in their semifinal contest..
In a contrast to his previous bouts, Gomez took the first lead in the contest, and held a 2-0 edge after the opening round. Kate came back in the second round of boxing, pulling the bout to a 5-5 tie with one round remaining. Yet Gomez would not be deterred, the 17-year-old outscored Kate by a 3-2 margin in the final round to win an 8-7 victory over Kate, a bronze medalist in the 2003 World Championships, and move on to the championship round.
Gomez is the first U.S. light welterweight to win a medal in senior world championships action since the late Vernon Forrest. Forrest, a 1992 Olympian and professional world champion, claimed a silver medal in the 1991 World Championships, one year before Gomez was born.
With his fifth straight victory, Gomez is guaranteed at least a silver medal and will face Cuba’s Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo in final round action on Saturday at 2 p.m. Milan Time (8 a.m. EST). When he takes the ring in the light welterweight final on Saturday, Gomez will look to avenge the loss of fellow Los Angeles native and 2008 U.S. light welterweight Olympian Javier Molina. Sotolongo defeated Molina at the second Olympic qualifier in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Universal Sports will be broadcasting all of the semifinal and final round action from Milan on www.universalsports.com. Friday’s semifinal bouts will be shown at approximately 6 p.m. EST.
Friday’s U.S. Results
141 lbs: Frankie Gomez, Broadway, Calif./USA dec. Gyula Kate, HUN, 8-7
Saturday’s U.S. Schedule
141 lbs: Frankie Gomez, Broadway, Calif./USA vs. Roniel Iglesias Sotolongo, CUB (8 a.m. EST)
Frankie Gomez Earns a Spot in the Medal Round with a Stoppage Victory at the 2009 World Championships
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Team USA’s lone remaining competitor, light welterweight Frankie Gomez (Broadway, Calif.) ensured his United States team wouldn’t go home empty-handed with a dominating quarterfinal performance at the 2009 World Championships in Milan, Italy. Gomez recorded three earlier wins in Milan to advance on to his quarterfinal match-up with Lithuania’s Egidijus Kavaliauskas on Wednesday. The 17-year-old American left nothing to chance in his bout with Kavaliauskas, stopping him in the third round of their contest. After a slow-paced first round, the pace quickened in the second with Gomez taking a 6-2 advantage into the final round. He had moved out to a 12-3 advantage in the third when the referee stopped the bout, giving Gomez the hard-earned victory. Gomez gave his Lithuanian foe three standing eight counts before the referee called a halt to the bout in the final round.
His victory guarantees Gomez at least a bronze medal in his first world championships. He will face Hungary’s Gyula Kate in the semifinals at on Friday, September 11 at 8:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. EST). Kate claimed a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships and is a two-time Olympian for Hungary.
Wednesday’s U.S. Results
141 lbs: Frankie Gomez, Broadway, Calif./USA stopped Egidijus Kavaliauskas, LTU, RSC-3
Friday’s U.S. Schedule
141 lbs: Frankie Gomez, Broadway, Calif./USA vs. Gyula Kate, HUN
Team USA’s Frankie Gomez Advances to Quarterfinal Action at the 2009 World Championships
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Light welterweight Frankie Gomez (Broadway, Calif.) took the ring at the 2009 World Championships with the weight of his country on his shoulders as one of only two U.S. boxers remaining in contention at the 2009 World Championships. Yet the 17-year-old didn’t crumble under the pressure, winning his third straight bout in Milan to move on to quarterfinal action.
Gomez faced Uzbekistan’s Sanjarbek Rahmanov in third round action on Tuesday afternoon at the Mediolanum Forum, winning a 19-10 decision, to advance in the tournament. Once again, Gomez fell behind by a slim 6-5 margin after one round of action. Yet the American came out strong in the second round, grabbing the momentum and outscoring Rahmanov by an 8-3 margin over the middle three minutes of boxing. He held an 11-8 lead as the bout moved into the final round, and Gomez put a definitive stamp on his win over the last three minutes. The 17-year-old American held Rahmanov to only one point on his way to the 19-10 final victory.
Featherweight Kevin Rivers (Landover, Md.) lost his third round contest to reigning bantamweight champion Sergey Vodopiyanov of Russia,13-1, to eliminate him from contention. Rivers recorded two victories before his third round loss in Milan.
Gomez will return to action on Wednesday, facing Egidijus Kavaliauskas of Lithuania at 8:30 p.m. Milan time (2:30 p.m. EST) with a spot in the medal round on the line.
For the most up-to-date results and information as well as full draw sheets for all 11 weight divisions, go to www.aiba.org
Tuesday’s U.S. Results
125 lbs: Sergey Vodopiyanov, RUS, dec. Kevin Rivers, Landover, Md./USA, 13-1
141 lbs: Frankie Gomez, Broadway, Calif./USA dec. Sanjarbek Rahmov, UZB, 19-10
Wednesday’s Schedule
141 lbs: Frankie Gomez, Broadway, Calif./USA vs. Egidijus Kavaliauskas, LTU
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.