(FEB 7) (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – The historic U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing will officially kick off with the tournament draw and media availability on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the Northern Quest resort. All 24 participants as well as USA Boxing officials will be hand for the official event draw, which will determine each of the athletes road to gold in Spokane.

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials event draw will be done manually with each of the four non-seeded boxers pulling a numbered ping-pong ball to determine whom they will face in opening round action on Monday night. Each boxer will do a short face-off with her first round opponent for the assembled media during the official draw. The top four finishers from the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships in the three women’s Olympic weight divisions will be the top four seeds, corresponding with their finish in the tournament.

The athletes and USA Boxing personnel will be available for interviews following the draw event, which will last approximately 15 minutes. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials participants will arrive in Spokane on Saturday for the event and opening round action will begin in all three weight divisions on Monday evening.

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing will be the lone domestic qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games, which will feature the Olympic debut of the sport. The champions in each of the three weight divisions will move on to the 2012 Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao, China, where they will need to place in the top eight to earn berths in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Media credentials will be available for pick up at the event draw for all press members having completed a U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing media credential request form. Credential pick up will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the Kalispel Ballroom at the Northern Quest resort.

To obtain a media credential request form, contact Julie Goldsticker at julie@goldstickerpr.com. The deadline for returning completed forms is Friday, February 10.

U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS FOR WOMEN’S BOXING EVENT DRAW DETAILS

WHAT: U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Tournament Draw and athlete media availability

WHERE: Kalispel Ballroom, Northern Quest Resort, 100 N. Hayford Road, Airway Heights, WA 99001

WHEN: Sunday, February 12, 2:30 p.m. (Credential pick-up will begin at 1:30 p.m.)

WHO: U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing participants