The four coaches nominated last month were head coach Basheer Abdullah, team leader Delilah Rico and assistant coaches Candelario Lopez and Israel Acosta.

However, the two assistant coaches Lopez and Acosta will now not be attending the Games for differing reasons.

Lopez was not previously registered with the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and, therefore, was not approved by the international governing body for the sport to serve at the Olympics.

Meanwhile, Acosta chose not to accept his nomination to the London 2012 Olympic Games staff.

Head coach Abdullah and team leader Rico have both retained their roles and will now be joined by the new quartet of assistant coaches made up of Anthony Chase, Christy Halbert (pictured top), Charles Leverette and Gloria Peek (pictured below).

Chase has served as a coach for several local and national events and most recently was involved in the first-ever US Olympic team trials for women's boxing as a personal coach for a flyweight participant.


Halbert has been instrumental in the women's programme over the last decade and served as head coach for the US team at the first-ever Women's World Championships in 2001.

She also worked closely with AIBA to help get women's boxing included in the Olympics and has coached at numerous major international events for both the United States and AIBA's developmental programme.

Leverette currently serves as the head coach for the Army's world class athlete programme and has participated in several key international events over the past two years, including the 2012 Women's World Championships where the US team won five medals and booked two spots at the Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, Peek has coached at several international events in her long involvement with the sport, most recently the 2012 Women's World Championships and 2011 Pan American Games.

The US Olympic coaching staff is currently working with the athletes at the US Olympic Training Centre in Colorado Springs to prepare for London 2012.

The squad will depart for the Games on July 14 for final preparations with all staff nominations pending approval from the USOC Board of Directors.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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