Twenty years ago, Andre Ward defeated Magomed Aripgadjiev by a score of 20-13 to win a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Bay Area turned pro later that year, embarking on a 13-year career that concluded with back-to-back wins against unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. Ward hasn’t fought professionally since 2017 and no American man has won an Olympic gold medal in boxing since 2004. This year, Washington, D.C.’s Jahmal Harvey hopes to end the brought for Team USA.
“That was my goal, it was the dream I had, I had always wanted it,” Harvey told 7News Sports Director Scott Abraham.
“It’s just a happy moment. I’m just very proud of myself, but at the same time I know I still [have] got to go add something to that: Jahmal Harvey, Olympic gold medalist.”
Harvey isn’t your average amateur boxer. The 21-year-old didn’t pick up a pair of gloves until he was a teenager, late by most boxing standards. However, he developed quickly, training with Team USA at 18 years old and winning gold at the 2023 Pan-American games. Now, he aims to have his name etched in the history alongside other boxing greats from Maryland like Sugar Ray Leonard and Gervonta “Tank” Davis. In order to do that, he’ll have to do something extraordinary like being the first American man to win a gold medal in boxing since 2004.
Harvey will join his teammates in Paris, France as the boxing portion of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games kick off on Saturday, July 27.
