Like many combat sports, boxing is a sport with many ancient origins. Boxing's ancestors can be found as far back as the 3rd millennium BC. Pugilat, pancrace, savate... Practices have varied over the centuries and across cultures, but the spirit remains the same. Today, boxing can be broken down into many different disciplines, each with its own rules and customs. Thai boxing, full-contact, kick-boxing, Burmese boxing, French boxing...
At the Olympic Games, English boxing has been the sport of choice since 1904. Long considered too dangerous, the sport has finally entered the Olympic pantheon. Women's competitions were not included in the program until 2012. In Paris, in 2024, boxing will be well and truly present: seven categories are planned for men, six for women. The events will take place from July 27 to August 10, 2024. The preliminary phases are scheduled to take place at theArena Paris Nord, while the final bouts will be staged at the Roland-Garros stadium.
Why was English boxing chosen over other sports? The sport is considered noble. It was regulated and codified by the Briton John Graham Chambers, to make matches less dangerous and deadly for participants. It was he who made it compulsory to wear boxing gloves.
Boxing is a one-on-one combat sport. The match takes place in a ring, over three three-minute rounds for men, and four two-minute rounds for women. Fighters are classified in weight categories. The winner of the match is the boxer who scores the most points during the bout: " At the Olympics, each round is scored by the judges: 10-9 for slight domination, 10-8 for clear domination or 10-7 for total domination. At the end of the bout, each judge adds up the scores for each round to determine the winner. The score of the bout is calculated according to the number of judges who have designated a fighter the winner ", explains the official Olympic Games website.
Boxing fights are often impressive, as are these official records. Many will be familiar with Mohamed Ali, Olympic light-heavyweight champion in 1960. Only 18 at the time of his coronation, the boxer went on to enjoy an exceptional career. Yet he is not the youngest medallist in the history of the Games: that title belongs to American Jackie Fields, a 16-year-old featherweight who triumphed in 1924. The oldest champion remains Britain's Richard Gunn, 37, winner in 1908. Since then, the age limit for participation has been lowered to 34.
The United States dominates the Olympic boxing medal table. In fact, in 1904, the Americans walked away with all the medals... Because they were the only ones involved in this discipline! To date, the United States has won 117 Olympic medals, including 50 gold. They are followed by Cuba, Great Britain and Italy. France ranks 11th, with 25 medals, including 6 gold.
In 2024, our French boxers will be hoping to add to these figures. To do so, they can count on Estelle Mossely and Sofiane Oumiha, both medallists at the Rio Games. Wassila Lkhadiri, Davina Michel and Amina Zidani have also qualified for the 2024 Games.
If you'd like to take up boxing yourself, find your nearest club on the French Boxing Federation website.
Brooklyn Fitboxing: we tried out this concept combining boxing and bootcamp, a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe
A new gym is opening near the Champs-Elysées, a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe, from August 29, 2023. During your session, link up boxing and bootcamp moves to let off steam and strengthen your body! [Read more]
The coaches of the French Olympic Boxing Team open a 300m2 gym, open to all, even children, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The program includes group and individual classes, taught by renowned coaches. [Read more]
Dates and Opening Time
From July 27th, 2024 to August 10th, 2024
Location
Roland Garros
2, avenue Gordon Bennett
75116 Paris 16
Brooklyn Fitboxing: we tried out this concept combining boxing and bootcamp, a stone's throw from the Arc de Triomphe
France Boxing Club, the boxing gym designed by French Olympic Team coaches
