(OCT 26) MEMPHIS, TENN. - The
official draw for the 2016 Olympic Trials for Women's Boxing was
held on Sunday evening in Memphis, Tenn., and the 24 competitors
learned their opening round opponents in the second edition of
the event.
All of the athletes were called
up by weight class to determine their road to a victory in the
only domestic Olympic qualifying tournament. 2012 Olympic bronze
medalist Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas), 2015 national champion
Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) and 2012 Olympic gold
medalist Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) all received the top
seeds in the tournament based upon the Olympic selection
procedures for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Esparza will open the tournament
in a first round flyweight bout with Melanie Costa (Norton,
Mass.) in the opening match of the 2016 Olympic Trials.
Flyweight number two seed Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas) will
take on former light flyweight champion Alex Love (Colorado
Springs, Colo.) in the pair's tournament opener.
Mayer's first round match will be
a contest with Olympic Trials Qualifier I bronze medalist
Stalacia Leggett (San Diego, Calif.). The lightweight division
will also feature an opening round match-up between two former
youth stars. Junior and Youth World Champion and Youth Olympic
gold medalist Jajaira Gonzalez (Glendora, Calif.) will face off
with 2013 Youth World Championships Samantha Kinchen (Lexington,
Ky.) in lightweight first round action on Monday.
Shields first bout of the
tournament will be a match-up with the U.S. Army's Naomi Graham
(Colorado Springs, Colo.). If Shields is victorious in her
tournament opener, she will face the winner of the rematch of
Trials Qualifier I finale between Danyelle Wolf (San Diego,
Calif.) and Tika Hemingway (Brackenridge, Pa.).
The event will begin with 12
quarterfinal bouts on Monday night at the Cook Convention Center
with all the day's victor advancing to the winners bracket
semifinal and their opponents moving in to the challengers
bracket. Results will be disseminated upon completion of the
session.