”I Fell Short”: Eliminated From Olympic Boxing Trials, US Star Robby Gonzales Breaks Silence On Defeat

With the Olympic year in precision, if there is one thing an athlete is looking forward to, it would be a ‘Paris qualified’ tag by their name. As the Boxing World Qualification Tournament took center stage come March 3rd, the dream was no different for the 2021 AIBA champion, Robby Gonzales. However, multiple rounds, and 15 minutes of Day 5 later, Gonzalez’s path ahead remained uncertain.

Robby Gonzales has held onto the Olympic dream for over a decade. From 2016 Rio to Paris 2024, the boxing star has asserted resilience in his discipline paired with skills honed through the years. Thus, when his recent showcase concluded with results unfavorable, disappointment was intrinsic to the 27-year-old.

Robby Gonzales opens up on his defeat

The Boxing World Qualification Tournament was a beacon of hope for about 600 athletes in contention on the path to the Olympic dream. Robby Gonzales, having missed out on the 2016 Rio, followed by 2020 trials due to COVID, and this stage was no different. “I fell short tonight. I thought I did enough to win. This is the first time in my career that I thought I did enough to win,” Gonzalez began on his Instagram stories.

Though the circumstances proved to be disagreeable and presented a path of uncertainty, for the boxing star who has remained staunch every step, this would be just another challenge to tackle head-on. “It is what it is,” he asserts. “I don’t know what’s next in my career but we are going to keep going. If Robby Gonzales manages to stick by the mindset and continues down the path of determination, the boxing champion might as well retain a door to his Olympic dreams.

Olympic hope yet on track

On Friday, March 8th, Robby Gonzales took to the ring against Andrej Csemez in the 80kg weight class. By the end of the fight, Gonzalez recorded a defeat going 3-2 on a split decision. This was the boxing champion’s second attempt at the 2024 Olympic qualification, following his elimination at the 2023 Pan Am. Hence, with two losses on record, Gonzalez has no room for mistakes if he chooses to continue in pursuit of the dream.

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“My main goal is to become one of the greatest American amateur fighters of all time. I’m training hard every day to get that goal of mine and to get gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” the words of Gonzales read in bold. His last chance to attain the dream would be at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok. “We are going to stay positive… and keep grinding,” he says and May 23 awaits.

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