WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO INTERESTED IN ANOTHER CRACK AT OLYMPIC GOLD
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 08 Mar 2016
Klitschko.
Wladimir Klitschko who won an Olympic gold medal in the super heavyweight division at the Atlanta Games in 1996 has refused to rule out the possibility of competing in the Olympic Games again in Rio this year.
The British newspaper, The Guardian, reported that the 39-year-old could take advantage of a new move by the International Boxing Alliance to open up its eligibility criteria to all existing professionals.
Klitschko has long stated his desire to return to the amateur code before retirement and will press his case following his world heavyweight heavyweight title rematch with Tyson Fury of Britain.
The Guardian quoted Klitschko who said ?I have always said that I would love to participate again in the Olympic Games but right now I?m only focusing on my rematch with Tyson Fury.?
Klitschko previously expressed his desire to try to qualify for London 2012 but was ruled out by a combination of the current AIBA rules and the reluctance of the Ukrainian Boxing Federation. He would need to persuade the powers that be at AIBA to lift the age limit for fighters under its jurisdiction. He will be 43 by the time of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, and AIBA?s upper limit currently stands at 40.
Klitschko is the highest-profile fighter to express an interest in taking advantage of the new ruling, which will be officially ratified by AIBA in May, enabling professionals to enter the final Rio 2016 qualifying tournament in Baku in June. But others believe top professionals will be reluctant to commit to the Games because of a mixture of reputational, licensing and financial issues.
The promoter Eddie Hearn said: ?I think you might get some mid-level professionals having a crack at it but I don?t think you are going to get the elite guys. Sometimes that?s also the case with other sports ? we?ve seen that tennis and football hasn?t always had the strongest representation in the Olympics but I think it is a strange situation in boxing.
?There are questions over funding and sponsorship and although the sport is in a kind of transition at the moment, I think the two should stay as they are ? boxing should be one of the few sports where you have amateur and pro separation.?
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