U.S. Boxer Russell Jr. Collapses, Won’t Compete in Olympics
by Allie Comeau on August 9, 2008 
1 comment
If you’re a boxing fan, the Olympics just got a little less exciting for you. U.S. bantamweight boxer Gary Russell Jr. is out. Russell was one of our best contenders and one of the most exciting to watch.
The hot and humid weather in Beijing, pressure to drop 6 pounds for weigh in, and a lack of proper hydration all contributed to Russell’s collapse. His teammates found him unconscious in his hotel room during the middle of the night and while he was successfully revived, he missed the weigh in and will not be competing in the Olympics.
“Gary, he was pushing to make weight,” said U.S. Olympic boxing coach Dan Campbell. “At some point in the middle of the night we found him unconscious.”
What a disappointment – for fans, for the team, but mostly for Russell himself. Like all Olympic athletes, winning a medal was a dream for him… one that he’s worked extremely hard to achieve. He’s said several times that winning an Olympic medal is much more important to him than going pro.
“I’ve just always thought winning a gold medal would mean more than being a world champion, or winning all that money, or anything,” Russell told The Associated Press last month. “There’s just something about it.”
I’m no boxing coach, but I don’t understand why he couldn’t have just fought in the 125 pound category, like he’s been doing all year. And why he (seemingly) had to worry about it at the last minute. Dropping 6 pounds when you only weight 125 (and you’re a guy!) has got to be tough. Obviously it was too much for him when coupled with the extreme conditions in Beijing. The U.S. Boxing Team now only has 8 contenders, its smallest number since the 1948 Olympics.
On another note, did anyone watch the opening ceremony last night? I tuned in for the last half and all I can say is wow! Say what you will about Beijing, they put on one heck of a show (although I doubt those fireworks did much for the air pollution). The best part was when the last Olympic torchbearer “ran” around the entire stadium, suspended by ropes, followed by a slideshow of the entire relay. That was pretty cool.
What did you think of the opening ceremony?
August 22nd, 2008 @ 11:10 pm
[...] Gary Russell Jr. collapsed while trying to ‘make weight’ for the bantamweight category in boxing. (Don’t even get me started on wrestlers and boxers trying to compete in lower weight classes. I know that this is common but even in high school I remember my friend who was a wrestler purposely trying to dehydrate himself before his weigh in. This insanity almost makes models eating cotton balls seem reasonable.) [...]