The Grand Prix Usti nad Labem 51st edition is one of the highlights of the weekly international competitions. The two middleweight (75kg) finalists of the last AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, Netherland’s Nouchka Fontijn and Wales’s Lauren Price will both be present at the new edition.
AIBA World Champion Sofiane Oumiha of France and Mongolia’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Erdenebat Tsendbaatar, are the biggest names in the men’s competition. Both boxers will attend in the lightweight (63kg) in Usti nad Labem, and their encounter is one of the most anticipated contests of the event.
The Grand Prix Usti nad Labem is the biggest international competition in the Czech Republic which returns to the calendar after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The roots of the international competition originate from the era of Czechoslovakia and have a strong brand name among the National Federations.
The women boxers can compete in six categories while the men athletes in eight different weight classes. The competition is being held with strict safety measures and COVID-19 protocol to avoid any new cases in the Czech Republic.
History of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
The first edition of the Grand Prix was held in 1968, and some big boxing stars won the previous competitions, such as Cuba’s three-time Olympic Champions Felix Savon and Teofilo Stevenson. Russia’s duo as two-time Olympic Champion Oleg Saitov, and another Olympic Games winner and former AIBA World Champion Mr. Aleksandr Lebziak, also won titles in the history of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem.
The women boxers started to compete for the first time at the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem 2010 edition. The competition has a big tradition, and several top boxers decided to travel to the Grand Prix in 2018 where Cuba, Serbia, Netherlands, Germany, and the host Czech Republic won the gold medals in the 49th edition three years ago.
The Grand Prix Usti nad Labem achieved a new milestone when the competition celebrated its 50th edition in 2019 which means the event is one of the oldest European tournaments and a great commitment for boxing from the Czech LOC. The traditional event is stronger in comparison to the previous years with the participation of Cuba, Brazil, Thailand, Ecuador, Russia, Turkey, South Korea, France, and many other top nations.
Altogether seventeen finals were held at the last 2019 edition. Among Europe’s best female boxers Netherland’s Nouchka Fontijn and Turkey’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Busenaz Surmeneli, both won gold medals at the Grand Prix two years ago.
Participating nations in the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
Austria, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Mali, Mongolia, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Wales.
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