Nico Hernandez
| Nico Hernández | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||
| Rated at | 108 lb (49 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||
| Born |
January 4, 1996 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
.svg.png){kind=icon}
Nico Hernández (born January 4, 1996)[1] is an American boxer, from Wichita, Kansas. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where won an Olympic Bronze Medal for the United States, in the Men's light flyweight division—the United States' first Olympic men's boxing medal since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.[2][3][4][5]
Early Athletic Experiences
Hernandez's career was chiefly built on the relationship with two colleagues: his father, and his best friend. Hernandez was first introduced to boxing at the age of 9, by his father, Lewis, a truck driver in Wichita, Kansas, who later became his coach. The boy took a liking to boxing with his first encounter—then became an energetic young fighter, winning his first 25 fights, aggressively reaching for tougher, even older and bigger, opponents. Along with best friend Tony Losey—a troubled teen also coached (and rehabilitated) by Lewis—the two boys developed into competitive boxers, with aspirations of winning 2016 Olympic gold medals together (Losey rising to USA Boxing’s 3rd-place ranking among welterweights, and younger Hernandez winning gold at the National Junior Olympics in 2011 and 2012.). They remained intensely involved with boxing, together—supporting each others' careers—until 2014, when Losey died in an industrial accident.[2][5][6]
At Wichita North High School, Hernandez also excelled in wrestling, eagerly taking on better and bigger opponents with a ferocity and endurance that shocked them, and his coach.[5]
2016 Olympic Qualifications
Hernandez entered Boxing Qualification for the 2016 Summer Olympics. At the 2016 American Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he won the silver medal in the men's flyweight. He defeated Argentina’s Leandro Blanc in the semifinals to secure his place in the Olympic competition and advanced to the final to face Yuberjen Martinez of Colombia.[7]
2016 Rio Olympics
Entering Boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympics, 20-year-old Hernandez—a virtual unknown in boxing—weighed in at 108 pounds, entering the Men's light flyweight division. Not expected to win, his unexpected Olympic victories created a stir in the boxing community. His USA Olympic boxing coach was Billy Walsh (though his life-long boxing coach had been his own father, Lewis Hernandez).[2][4]
For the first time since 1980, protective headgear would not be worn by Olympic boxers during their matches. This would become a problem for Hernandez in his final fight.[3]
First Fight
Though not expected to beat Manuel Cappai of Italy, and starting off slowly in the first round, Hernandez found his strength in the second and third round, overwhelming Cappai, and winning.[2]
Second Fight
In his second fight, Hernandez faced Russia's Vasili Egorov, silver medalist of the last world championship, and the defending European champion. Though again starting off slowly, Hernandez surprised his opponent, in the second and third rounds, with fast aggression, moving in close and overpowering Egorov—winning by unanimous decision of the judges.[2]
Third Fight
In his third fight, this one for the Olympic bronze medal, he faced Carlos Quipo Pilataxi of Ecuador. Again starting slowly, he came from behind to win, again—ensuring himself an Olympic medal, and startling the boxing world.[2]
Fourth & Final Fight
In his fourth fight—the semi-finals, for the Olympic silver medal—he fought the Asian champion, Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan, Hernandez again started slowly, but this time could not make the come-from-behind win. One reporter suggested he had trouble figuring out Dusmatov's odd, left-handed style. The smaller and quicker Dusmatov was the aggressive leader in the first round. An accidental head-butt gashed Hernadez, leading to a bloody face and briefly blurred vision; a doctor cleaned him up between rounds 2 and 3, but Hernandez did not rebound fully. And, in the third and final round, the referee interrupted the fight to have a doctor attend the cut. For the rest of the fight, Dusmatov mostly avoided Hernandez, backing away and keeping out of Hernandez's way. Hernández, by his own admission, "waited too long" for things to change.[2][3][4]
After applauding his opponent's victory, Hernandez admitted fighting "his fight instead of my own," adding, "I let him come in and make the fight too wild and that’s how I lost." With scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 (USA Today reported "29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 for Dusmatov"), the judges unanimously credited the win to Dusmatov.[2][3] Though Hernandez lost the fight on points, he kept an Olympic bronze medal.[4]
Despite defeating Hernández for the Olympic Silver Medal, rival Dusmatov described the match as his own most difficult fight of the Olympics, up to that point—describing Hernández as a "champion," who is "really, really strong."[2][4]
Hometown Impact
Hernandez was Wichita's first Olympic medalist since the 1984 team gold-medal wins of women's basketball star Lynette Woodard and men's volleyball athlete Marc Waldie—and the first Wichitan to win an individual Olympic medal since runner Jim Ryun won silver in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.[4]
Future Plans
USA Today reported that Hernandez plans to turn to professional boxing after the 2016 Olympics.[3]
References
- ↑ "Nico Hernandez Boxing". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Posnanski, Joe, "For Nico Hernandez, there will be other days," NBC Olympics August 12 or 13, 2016, retrieved August 13, 2016
- 1 2 3 4 5 Velin, Bob, "Nico Hernandez's Olympic dream ends with bronze medal," August 12, 2016, USA TODAY, retrieved August 13, 2016
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kudialis, Chris, Eagle correspondent, "Wichitan Nico Hernandez loses in Olympic boxing semifinal," August 12, 2016, Wichita Eagle newspaper, retrieved August 13, 2016
- 1 2 3 Naktin, Eric, Boxer Nico Hernandez excelled as North High wrestler," August 10, 2016, Updated August 12, 2016, KSN-TV (Kansas State Network / KSN-W, Wichita, Kansas), retrieved August 13, 2016
- ↑ Rosenberg, Michael, "Nico Hernandez carrying Tony Losey's memory with him at Rio Olympics," August 8, 2016, Sports Illustrated, retrieved August 13, 2016
- ↑ Seminoff, Kirk (March 20, 2016). "Wichita's Nico Hernandez qualifies for boxing at Rio Olympics". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
| Men's athletes |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Women's athletes | ||
| Coaches |
| |