(OCT 26) SANTIAGO, Chile
-- Yesterday was exciting for Team USA as the first American
boxer officially punched their ticket to the 2024 Paris
Olympics. Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.) booked her ticket
to Paris in the 60 kg weight division following her semifinal
victory on day seven of the 2023 Santiago Pan American Games.
Gonzalez got the day started in dominating fashion on Wednesday
morning, as she controlled the pace and aggression during her
bout, including landing multiple combinations on. Camila Piñeiro
Muiño of Uruguay, giving the judges no option but to award her
the unanimous decision win.
Gonzalez won every round, 5-0, securing her ticket to 2024 Paris
Olympic Games, as well as advancing to semifinals in Santiago,
which guarantees herself a medal, Team USA’s sixth of these
Games. The American middleweight will face 2020 Olympic silver
medalist Beatriz Ferreira for the chance to advance to the
championship bout. Gonzalez will be the fourth bout during the
day’s first session, which begins at 10:00 a.m. ET.
“We are going to Paris. I am so happy and blessed. All the
sacrifices, tears and sweats all paid off. I have no words,”
Gonzalez said after qualifying. “Thank you to everyone who
supported me and those who doubted me. You pushed me. Thank you
to my father and siblings and my team.”
Emilio Garcia (Laredo, Texas) and Omari Jones (Orlando, Fla.)
also fought today for Team USA. Jones went against Mexico’s
Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez. After winning the first round 4-1,
Jones fell 5-0 on the next two rounds to see his tournament come
to an end.
Garcia was in a very scrappy fight against Alexy Miguel De La
Crus Baez from the Dominican Republic. Garcia went down 5-0 in
the first two rounds and had a tall task at hand. However, due
to a point being deducted to Baez, Garcia was given hope.
However, the fight ended early due to open cuts and bleeding
following a head clash between the two opponents. Garcia won the
third round 3-2 but it wasn't enough as he lost 2-0.
Team USA has another full slate Thursday as the semifinals
officially start for all weight divisions.
Joining Gonzalez in the day’s first session will be Jahmal
Harvey (Oxon Hill, Md.), where he will face Brazil’s Luiz
Oliveira, a familiar opponent he has fought four times in his
career, with both boxers taking two victories against one
another.
The evening session, which starts at 4:00 p.m. ET, will feature
two USA versus Canada bouts, with Jennifer Lozano (Laredo,
Texas) taking on McKenzie Wright and Morelle McCane (Cleveland,
Ohio) going to head-to-head against 2022 Elite World
Championships silver medalist Charlie Cavanagh for the second
time this year. McCane defeated Cavanagh by split decision in
the semifinals of the GeeBee International Tournament.
The session will also feature 2021 World Championships silver
medalist Roscoe Hill (Spring, Texas) boxing Yunior Alcantara
Reyes of the Dominican Republic, as well as 2022 AMBC Elite
Continental Championships bronze medalist Joshua Edwards
(Houston, Texas) closing out the day with Fernando Lopez of
Cuba.
All five boxers, outside of Gonzalez, will look to take
victories to lock up their place at next summer’s Olympic Games.
Click here to follow all the action in Santiago, including
livestream, results, athlete stories and more.
Day 7 Results
60 kg: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif./USA, dec. over Camilo
Pineiro Muino/URU, 5-0
63.5 kg: Alexy Baez/DOM dec. over Emilio Garcia, Laredo,
Texas/USA, 2-0
71 kg: Marco Alvarez/MEX dec. over Omari Jones, Orlando,
Fla./USA, 5-0
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