Four American Boxers Reach Medal Round At World Championships

Omari Jones competes against Wanderson De Oliveira (Brazil) in the men's 67 kg. quarterfinals at the Elite Men's World Championships on Nov. 2 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Four American boxers, including two teenagers, have advanced to the medal round at the Elite Men’s World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, putting the U.S. team on track for its best finish at the event in a generation.
World championships rookies Roscoe Hill (51 kg.), Jahmal Harvey (57 kg.), Omari Jones (67 kg.) and Rahim Gonzales (80 kg.) each advanced to the semifinals with wins on Tuesday. The winners in Thursday’s semifinals will advance to the gold-medal bouts on Friday and Saturday, while the semifinal losers each claim a bronze medal.
The last time the U.S. won four medals at the world championships was in 1999, when Americans claimed four golds.
The world championships began Oct. 25. Depending on the size of the weight class and whether the athlete received a bye, the Americans have all won three or four matches.
Hill, a native of Spring, Texas, who finished third at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, defeated Italian Federico Serra by unanimous decision in their quarterfinal match. He’ll face Akhtem Zakirov of Russia in the semifinals.
Eighteen-year-old Harvey of Oxon Hill, Maryland, claimed his fourth win of the tournament so far when he defeated Thailand’s Rujakran Juntrong by unanimous decision. Awaiting him in the semifinals is Samuel Kistohurry, a 2020 Olympian from France.
Jones, 18, already beat a 2020 Olympian, dispatching of Brazil’s Wanderson De Oliveira by unanimous decision in the quarterfinals. Like Harvey, he has now won four matches. The Orlando native will face Georgia’s Lasha Guruli in the semifinals.
Rounding out the U.S. medalists is Las Vegas native Gonzales, who defeated Omurbek Bekzhigit of Kyrgyzstan by unanimous decision. Next up for Gonzales is Vladimir Mironchikov of Serbia. Gonzales won his weight class at the Olympic trials but Team USA did not qualify an Olympic spot in his weight class.
The U.S. sent nine boxers to Belgrade, and six of them reached the quarterfinals. World championships debutants Obed Bartee-El (71 kg.) and Jamar Talley (92 kg.) each lost on split decisions Tuesday.