Boxing, a sport rich in tradition, has been part of the Olympic Games Programme since 1904 when the third Olympiad in St. Louis played host to boxing's premiere.
At the end of the 19th Century the “Queensberry Rules” were accepted in England and North America. John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry, gave boxing contests a time frame, introducing timed rounds and boxing gloves. This new format guided the way to modern-style boxing making it possible to introduce the amateur status into the sport, which was the basic condition to be recognised as an Olympic discipline.
Since 1904 the world of Olympic Boxing has developed into a renowned international event, with AIBA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) working to improve and maintain its legacy, making the possibilities within boxing endless.
AIBA’s commitment to the world of boxing and its global development is displayed every four years at the Olympic Games with boxing becoming more and more a noble sport that requires dedication, skill and self-discipline of intellect and body.
Pic: Worker's Stadium at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games pre-Tournament
Boxing’s Olympic History
2008 - The 2008 Olympic Games were the most successful in AIBA history with a record-breaking split of different countries winning gold medals (nine countries winning a gold medal out of a possible 11) and a first Olympic boxing gold medal for the Dominican Republic, China and Mongolia, and first Olympic boxing medals for Armenia, India and Mauritius.
2004 - The number of weight divisions return to 11 at the Athens (GRE) Games as Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz wins gold in the 54kg class to bring up 50 Olympic boxing medals for Cuba of which 30 were gold.
2000 - Cuba’s Felix Savon follows in the footsteps of Teofilo Stevenson by making it at hat-trick of Olympic titles medal at the Sydney Games (AUS).
1992 - Electronic scoring is introduced at the Barcelona (ESP) Games.
1996 – A bronze medal to Rhoshii Wells in the 75kg division at the Atlanta (USA) Games sees the host nation claim its 100th Olympic boxing medal.
1988 –Silver to Nouramgomed Chanavazov in the 81kg divison at the Seoul (KOR) Olympics brings up 50 Olympic boxing medals for Russia (RUS/URS).
1984 - The compulsory wearing of head guards is introduced at the Los Angeles (USA) Games while USA becomes the first country to claim nine boxing gold medals in one Olympics as 12 weight divisions are contested for the first time.
1980 - Cuban great Teofilo Stevenson claims his third Olympic heavyweight title at the Moscow Games (RUS).
1976 - USA claim five gold medals for the third time in its history at the Montreal (CAN) Games.
1972 - A total of 45 boxers compete in the featherweight division as Cuba tops the medal tally for the first time with three gold, a silver and a bronze in Munich (GER).
Pic: Boxing arena at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
1968 - Cuba claims its first medals with two silvers at the Mexico City Games as the number of weight divisions increase to 11.
1960 - Cuba takes part in the Olympic Games for the first time in Rome (ITA). The home nation tops the medal tally with three gold, three silvers and a bronze. Cassius Clay wins gold in the 81kg class.
1956 - USSR claims three gold medals in only its second Olympic Games in Melbourne (AUS). Bronze medals are awarded to both third place finishers. Laszlo Papp (HUN) becomes the first Olympic boxing three-time champion
1952 - Losers of the semifinals are both ranked in third place and are awarded diplomas only at the Helsinki (FIN) Olympics while USA claimed five gold medals. The number of weight divisions increases to 10.
1936 - Daily weigh-ins introduced for the first time at the Berlin (GER) Games.
1928 - A single-elimination formula is introduced at the Amsterdam (NED) Games with only semifinal losers having supplementary bouts to determine third and fourth places. A limit of eight weight classes is set with bouts consisting of three rounds of three minutes each.
1924 - A limit to one boxer per country, per weight category was introduced for the first time for the Paris (FRA) Olympics with bouts consisting of three rounds (two rounds of three minutes, one of four). Harry Mallin (GBR) becomes the first double Olympic boxing champion by winning gold in the 75kg class.
1920 – Eight weight categories contested in Antwerp (BEL).
1912 - No Olympic boxing competition due to Swedish law.
1908 – Another late decision to include boxing saw the “American incident” repeat itself four years later with local boxers dominating the 4th Olympics in London (GBR). Great Britain won all five weight classes, four silver and five bronze medals. The Australian middleweight boxer Ralf Baker picked up a silver.
1904 - Boxing makes its debut on the Olympic programme at the 3rd Olympic Games in St Louis (USA). Forty-four Americans are the only participants due to the lateness of confirming boxing in the Olympic programme. Seven weight classes were disputed with seven gold, seven silver and two bronze medals awarded.
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