Boxing > Inside This Sport

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Andre Ward, right, was the light heavyweight champion in 2004, the lone U.S. gold medalist.

The Beijing Olympic boxing tournament begins on Aug. 9, Day 1 of the Games, and concludes on Aug. 24, Day 16 and the final day of the Games.

Boxing at the Olympics consists of 11 tournaments: one for each weight class. Because the International Olympic Committee (IOC) added women's wrestling for the 2004 Games but did not want to increase the number of participants in the Olympics, boxing was required to cut one weight class from the 12 that made up its 2000 program. Light middleweight was eliminated and two other classes -- light welterweight and welterweight -- were expanded.

Weight classes (kilogram amounts are official)
• Light flyweight (Up to 48kg/106 lbs)
• Flyweight (Over 48kg/106 lbs up to 51kg/112 lbs)
• Bantamweight (Over 51kg/112 lbs up to 54kg/119 lbs)
• Featherweight (Over 54kg/119 lbs up to 57kg/126 lbs)
• Lightweight (Over 57kg/126 lbs up to 60kg/132 lbs)
• Light welterweight (Over 60kg/132 lbs up to 64kg/141 lbs)
• Welterweight (Over 64kg/141 lbs up to 69 kg/152 lbs)
• Middleweight (Over 69kg/152 lbs up to 75 kg/165 lbs)
• Light heavyweight (Over 75 kg/165 lbs up to 81kg/179 lbs)
• Heavyweight (Over 81 kg/179 lbs up to 91 kg/201 lbs)
• Super heavyweight (Over 91kg/201 lbs)