Like all Olympic boxing events, the competition followed a straight single-elimination format. The event featured 28 boxers who qualified through various tournaments held in 2003 and 2004.[1]
The competition began with a preliminary round on 17 August, reducing the field to 16 boxers, and concluded with the final on 28 August.[2] Since there were fewer than 32 competitors, some boxers received a bye through the preliminary round. Both semi-final losers were awarded bronze medals, in accordance with Olympic boxing rules.
Each bout consisted of four rounds lasting two minutes each, with one-minute breaks between rounds.[1] Punches scored only if the white area on the front of the glove made full contact with the front of the opponent’s head or torso. Five judges scored each bout, and for a punch to count, at least three of the five judges had to register it as a scoring punch within one second. The winner of the bout was the boxer who landed the most valid punches by the end of the match.
1904: 105 lb (47.6 kg) · 1920–1936: 112 lb (50.8 kg) · 1948–1964: 51 kg · 1968–2008: 48–51 kg · 2012: 49–52 kg · 2016: 50–52 kg · 2020–2024: up to 52 kg · 2024–: up to 51 kg
