The men's heavyweight boxing event at the 2020 Summer Olympics is scheduled to take place between 24 July and 6 August 2021 at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.[1] 17 boxers from 17 nations are expected to compete.[2]
This will be the 26th appearance of the men's heavyweight event. The event has been held at every Olympic boxing tournament (boxing was not held in 1896, 1900, and 1912). Heavyweight was the unlimited weight class from 1904 to 1980, but since 1984 has been limited to 81–91 kg (which remains unchanged in 2020) with the introduction of the super heavyweight class.
Reigning World ChampionMuslim Gadzhimagomedov of Russia has qualified for the Games. The 2016 Olympic champion, Evgeny Tishchenko also of Russia, turned professional and did not attempt to qualify. The 2016 light heavyweight gold medalist, Julio César La Cruz of Cuba, has moved up to the heavyweight class for the 2020 Games.[3]
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) could enter only 1 qualified boxer in the weight class. There were 17 quota places available for the men's heavyweight, allocated as follows:[2]
4 places that were intended to be awarded at the 2021 Pan American Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament, which was cancelled. These places were instead awarded through the world ranking list to the top boxers from the Americas who had been registered for the qualification tournament.
4 places that were intended to be awarded at a World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which was cancelled. These places were instead awarded through the world ranking list, with one place for each continental zone (Africa, Asia & Oceania, Europe, Americas).
No host places or Tripartite Commission invitation places were reserved for the men's heavyweight.
Competition format
Like all Olympic boxing events, the competition is a straight single-elimination tournament. The competition begins with a preliminary round, where the number of competitors is reduced to 16, and concludes with a final. As there are fewer than 32 boxers in the competition, a number of boxers will receive a bye through the preliminary round. Both semifinal losers are awarded bronze medals.
Bouts consist of three three-minute rounds with a one-minute break between rounds. A boxer may win by knockout or by points. Scoring is on the "10-point-must" system, with 5 judges scoring each round. Judges consider "number of blows landed on the target areas, domination of the bout, technique and tactical superiority and competitiveness." Each judge determines a winner for each round, who receives 10 points for the round, and assigns the round's loser a number of points between 7 and 9 based on performance. The judge's scores for each round are added to give a total score for that judge. The boxer with the higher score from a majority of the judges is the winner.[4]
Schedule
The heavyweight starts with the round of 32 on 24 July. There are two rest days before the round of 16 on 27 July, two more before the quarterfinals on 30 July, three more before the semifinals on 3 August, and two more before the final on 6 August.[1][5]
1904–1908: +158 lb (71.7 kg) · 1920–1936: +175 lb (79.4 kg) · 1948: +80 kg · 1952–1980: +81 kg · 1984–2012: 81–91 kg · 2016–2020: 82–91 kg · 2024–: 81–92 kg
