Olympic Boxing Draw: Welterweight

Quick thoughts on the Welterweight Olympic boxing draw.
Official Link to the Welterweight Draw

Welterweight (69 kg / 152 lbs.)
In their Olympics preview edition Sports Illustrated picked Briton Billy Joe Saunders to win light welterweight bronze. Problem is Billy Joe is fighting at welterweight and while he might have an amazing backstory remarkable back story (his great grandfather, alive and well at 95, was a bare knuckle Traveller boxing champ) he faces a very tough road to medal glory in Beijing.

Saunders will face 2007 World Championship bronze medalist Adem Kilicci, who hails from Turkey, in the first round and also sees Cuban Carlos Banteaux and 2007 silver winner Thailand’s Non Boonjumnong in his top quarter of the bracket.

Defending world champ American Demetrius Andrade, on the other hand, has few dangerous fighters in his half of the bracket. The same Sports Illustrated issue predicted a bronze for Andrade’s first round opponent Georgian Kakhaber Zhvania primarily on the strength of Zhvania 11-22 loss to Andrade in the first round of the 2007 Worlds. SI, whose predictions came pre-draw, also said Andrade would win gold. Both can’t win medals and we think Andrade will repeat his dominating performance in the rematch. Demetrius has the best chance of any American fighter to win gold in Beijing.

First Round
Sunday, August 10
First Session 3:00 a.m. – 4:15 a.m. EST
Second Session 8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. EST

Round of 16
Thursday, August 14
First Session 1:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m. EST
Second Session 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. EST

Quarterfinals
Saturday, August 17
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. EST

Semifinals
Friday, August 22
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. EST

Final
Saturday, August 23
3:15 a.m. EST