(OCT 8) The flyweight division,
which ranges from a minimum of 107 pounds and a maximum of 112
pounds, is the smallest Olympic weight division in women's
boxing. The weight class is contested in both Pan American Games
and Olympic competition as well as world championships and
national events.
Great Britain's Nicola Adams took gold in the 2012 Olympic Games
in the flyweight division with the United States' Marlen Esparza
winning bronze in the inaugural Olympics for women's boxing.
2016 Olympic Team Trials for Women's Boxing Flyweight
Competitors
1. Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas (USA Boxing National
Championships)*
2. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas (USA Boxing National
Championships)
3. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
4. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier I)
5. Alex Love, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials Qualifier
I)
6. Jamie Mitchell, Las Vegas, Nev. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
7. Giovanna Camacho, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Olympic Trials
Qualifier II)
8. Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass. (Olympic Trials Qualifier II)
*2012 Olympic bronze medalist
The tournament next the athletes' names denotes the tournament
in which they qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials for Women's
Boxing.
Flyweight Fun Facts
Four of the 2016 Olympic Trials for Women's Boxing flyweight
competitors are competing in their second Olympic Trials event
in Memphis. The returning participants are Marlen Esparza
(Houston, Texas), Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas), Christina Cruz
(New York, N.Y.) and Alex Love (Colorado Springs, Colo.
The weight class also boasts three former or current USA Boxing
national champions with Marlen Esparza having claiming the
flyweight title nine times, Christina Cruz winning at the higher
bantamweight division championship and Alex Love previously
taking gold at the lower light flyweight class.
Three of the flyweight competitors currently call Colorado
Springs, Colo., home with military members Alex Love and
Giovanna Camacho training at one of the nation's largest Army
base - Fort Carson and Marlen Esparza living at the U.S. Olympic
Training Center. In addition, two of the flyweight athletes hail
from the state of Massachusetts (Melanie Costa and Amanda Pavone).
The top two flyweights in the tournament (Marlen Esparza and
Virginia Fuchs) both have roots in the Houston area.
The oldest flyweight competitor is Christina Cruz at
32-years-old and the youngest boxer in the division is
22-year-old Melanie Costa (Norton, Mass.).
The flyweights' occupations outside of boxing range from Melanie
Costa's work as an insurance agency receptionist and police
matron to Amanda Pavone's (Burlington, Mass.) culinary skills as
a chef and Camacho's dedication to her country as a medical
officer in the U.S. Army.
Two of the flyweights hold a place in women's boxing history
with Marlen Esparza winning the first-ever Olympic medal in
women's boxing and Christina Cruz being the first American
female to compete in the Pan American Games.
Former light flyweight national champion Alex Love is the USA
Boxing's athlete representative on the USOC Athlete Advisory
Council where she gives a voice to all of USA Boxing's athletes
Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza has enjoyed endorsement
deals with major brands such as Cover Girl, McDonalds,
Coca-Cola, Nike and Deloitte and has been featured in
publications such as Vogue magazine.
Olympic Trials for Women's Boxing Information
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women's Boxing will be
contested October 26-31 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in
Memphis, Tenn. The Olympic Trials winners in the three women's
Olympic weight divisions will earn the right to represent the
United States in the international qualifiers for the 2016
Olympic Games in Brazil.
Twenty-four athletes will box in the Olympic Trials in Memphis.,
and all of the competitors will arrive in Memphis on Friday,
October 23 prior to the official draw on Sunday, October 25.
Olympic Trials competition will take place nightly at 6 p.m. at
the Memphis Cook Convention Center from October 26-30 and final
round action will begin at 7 p.m., on Saturday October 31.
The 2016 event will be only the second edition of the double
elimination tournament with the inaugural tournament taking
place in Spokane, Wash., in 2012. The United States placed first
in the team standings in women's boxing at the 2012 Olympic
Games in London with middleweight Claressa Shields taking gold
and flyweight Marlen Esparza winning bronze. The United States
remains one of the strongest squads in the world in women's
boxing as the two Olympic medalists both won world titles in
2014 and featherweight Tiara Brown claimed bronze.
The 24 Olympic Trials participants earned their berths in the
event in one of three qualifying tournaments beginning with the
2015 USA Boxing National Championships in January. The two
finalists from the national championships and top three
finishers from qualifying tournaments in June and September all
earned spots in the Olympic Trials. For more information on the
Olympic qualifying process for both male and female athletes, go
to usaboxing.org.
To obtain a media credential for the 2016 Olympic Trials in
Memphis, Tenn., click here.