Olympic Style Boxing

What is Olympic Style Boxing?

Olympic-style boxing is a very different sport to the professional boxing most people are used to viewing on their TV.
As the sport is normally much faster and the scoring is centred on technique, exceptional levels of fitness and a great deal of technical skill are required.
Contrary to common misperceptions, gold medal winning boxers need to remain calm and focussed as they step into the ring – there is no room for anger and aggression in a boxing bout.
Anyone who has ever tried their hand at sparring will tell you how hard it is to score points when your body is working that hard.
Boxing has been an Olympic sport since 1904. In 1941, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) took responsibility for the sport as a world governing body. The Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) is responsible for the ultimate preparation of the elite athletes for Olympic Games

What do boxes wear during a bout?

Boxers can easily war blue or red strips, gloves weighing 10 ounces and protective head guards all approved by the IABA and International Boxing bodies.

How are bouts judged?

Bouts are decided by a number of ringside judges and the result is based on the number of punches that land within a ‘target area’. Usually, boxers are usually limited to 3 minute rounds for men and 2 minute rounds for women as opposed to 12 rounds in professional boxing. The winner of the bout is the boxer with the most points – unless the referee stops the bout before the final bell.
Male Olympic boxers compete at 10 weights:
49kg, 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, 64kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, 91kg, 91+kg
Women currently feature at three weights in the Olympics
 51kg, 60kg, 75kg

Importance of Nutrition to the Athletes

As boxing is a weight-making sport, the right nutrition is vital for athletes on the GB Boxing programme. At Ireland’s Boxing’s HQ in Dublin, each elite boxers diet  needs to monitored and carefully controlled in order to provide enough energy and nutrients to fuel hard training and promote rapid recovery whilst maintaining body weight within safe boundaries for health and performance.