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08/11/2008 Archived Entry: "Dehydration Dashes U.S. Olympic Boxer Russell's Dream"
Dehydration Dashes U.S. Olympic Boxer Russell's Dream
By Randy Gordon
BEIJING -- U.S. Olympic bantamweight boxer Gary Russell Jr. collapsed while trying to make weight, ending his aspirations for Olympic Gold and taking away one of his team's best shot at a medal.
I absolutely would point a finger at coach Dan Campbell and probably at USA Boxing for this debacle. This 2008 squad had all the makings of an outstanding team, but constant squabbling and disagreements with Campbell have hurt Team USA probably more than we even realize right now.
The coach should always be up to speed with each one of his boxers, knowing who is having weight-making problems, who is injured, who needs a little mental "fine-tuning" after close to a year away from home, etc.
Gary Russell's biggest dream was to win a gold medal for the United States. Now he won't even be able to compete. What a shame. Hopefully, this, along with the shoulder surgery to follow, will only be a minor setback ad that he will recover quickly and get back into action as a pro in 2009, perhaps as a 122-pounder.
Maybe as a pro he'll find his gold.
