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Friday, August 25
Mustin predicts success for his boxers
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- U.S. Olympic boxing coach Tom Mustin isn't
paying much attention to the talk coming out of Cuba.
"Oh, yeah, I read that propaganda," Mustin said about the
statement made in Havana last week by Cuban coach Alcides Sagarra
that his team would win 12 gold medals in Sydney.
|  | | U.S. boxer Brian Viloria ties with the Cubans for the boxing boastfulness gold medal. |
Another who had heard about the Cuban coach's boast was Brian
Viloria, the 19-year-old, 106-pound world champion from Waipahu,
Hawaii.
"We're also expecting to win 12 gold medals," a smiling
Viloria said Tuesday at a team workout at the New York Athletic
Club.
Mustin said he wasn't making any predictions, but "We're going
to get our share of medals. I think this is one of the better teams
we've put together. We've had a great training camp."
Four U.S. Olympians will participate in an 11-bout dual
meet against Puerto Rico on Friday at Foxwoods Casino in
Mashantuket, Conn. Six Olympians will participate in 13 bouts
against Puerto Rico next Tuesday in Tacoma, Wash., Mustin's hometown.
Not competing in either dual meet will be David Jackson, the
132-pounder from Seattle who is recovering from right hand surgery,
and Michael Bennett, 201 pounds from Chicago, who is recovering
from a twisted right ankle. Both boxers accompanied the team to New York and will resume sparring soon.
The U.S. team will be trying to win more than one gold medal for
the first time since they won three in 1988 at Seoul. They also
earned three silvers and a bronze at those games.
In 1992 at Barcelona, U.S. boxers won one gold (Oscar De La Hoya
at 125), one silver and a bronze. In 1996 at Atlanta, U.S. boxers
got one gold (David Reid at 156) and five bronze medals.
The most gold medals Cuba has ever won was seven in 1992. They
also collected six in 1980 at the Moscow Olympics, which were
boycotted by the United States and many other Western countries.
Cuba got four golds and two silvers in Atlanta.
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