2024 Olympic Trials

Final four champions of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing crowned

by Luke Santangelo

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing officially concluded at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Training Center this evening in Colorado Springs, Colo. The four crowned champions will now advance to the Team USA Selection Camp starting Monday, January 8.

 

Here are the four champions of the day.

Lexus Ramirez (Hanford, Calif.) defeated Sheelyn Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii), 4-1. The day’s first bout included these two relentless boxers who left it all in the ring. With a big fan section cheering her on, Patricio took round one, 4-1. The Hawaiian native landed multiple left jabs and her combinations led to her first-round win. However, Ramirez came off strong in the second round, landing multiple combinations to Patricio’s gut and tiring the young boxer. Ramirez took rounds two and three, 4-1, leading to her overall 4-1 victory.

 

Ramirez explained that when her name was called and her hand was raised, she thought about all the hard work and determination it took for her to get this gritty victory over Patricio.

 

Ramirez will now be evaluated in the training camp to be Team USA’s Jennifer Lozano (Laredo, Texas) alternate, who qualified for the Paris Olympics at the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games.

Terry Washington (San Bernardino, Calif.) won in dominant fashion over Alex Espinoza (Garland, Texas). Washington won both his quarterfinals and semifinals, 5-0, and kept the same theme during today’s championship bout. Washington took the first round, 3-2, before dominating the final two rounds with his quick left hook. Washington landed punch after punch, winning all three rounds and advancing to Team USA Selection Camp to fight for the top spot in the 51 kg weight class.

 

“I have been dreaming about this since I started boxing in 2013,” Washington stated after winning the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. “This is one step closer to my dream. I have a different type of mindset, because I know what I want, and when you know what you want, you have to go get it and it just paid off by winning the Olympic Trials, and we have to see what is next.”

 

Washington will now go head-to-head with Team USA’s team member Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) and try to overtake Hill and compete at the next Olympic qualifying tournament.

Shera Mae Patricio’s (Waianae, Hawaii) dreams came true as she was the lonely boxer at the top of 54 kg. One of the more anticipated weight classes in theseOlympic Trials did not disappoint and provided many upsets and exciting bouts to watch throughout the tournament. The championship today was between the number four seed, Shera Mae Patricio, and the number three seed, Kayla Gomez (El Paso, Texas). The two-seeded boxers led to a much-anticipated finals matchup, as both upset the one and two seeds in the semifinals. The Hawaiian native went down 3-2 to Gomez in the first round but took the final two, 5-0, leading to her unanimous decision victory.

 

“This is a dream come true,” Patricio stated after her unanimous victory. “Being able to represent Team USA around the world and represent my family and Hawaii. Bringing them on the map, and wherever I go, they go.”

 

Patricio and Gomez both will compete in Team USA Selection Camp this January. The two boxers will go up against each other at camp and the evaluation winner will move on and compete in the Olympic qualifying tournaments, with hopes of punching their ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Sierra Martinez (Fountain, Colo.) continued her Olympic Trials run as she defeated Deborah Grant (Spring Lake, N.C.), 5-0. Martinez, winning all three of her Olympic Trials competitions on unanimous decisions, is one step closer to her dream of representing Team USA at the Olympic Games.

 

Martinez fell 3-2 in round one, but with her coaches’ adjustments and the home crowd advantage, Martinez was able to bounce back round two and three and take each round unanimously. Martinez’s second-round adjustments led her to dominate Grant. World Class Athlete Program boxer had her opponent tired in the third round and continued to land punches on Grant.

 

“It was a long journey, but I am here, and I made it,” Martinez stated after her championship victory. “My mindset is never going to change. My biggest goal in boxing, I tell everyone, is to not turn pro, but to make the Olympics. I always keep a strong hard mindset that nobody is going to beat me through the trials and tribulations and that I will never quit.”

 

Martinez will now stay in Colorado Springs and go up against Team USA member Alyssa Mendoza (Caldwell, Idaho) to be evaluated to determine who will represent Team USA at the Olympic qualifying tournaments.


For full results from today’s bouts, as well as the tournament in December, click here