Summary
- Male Olympic boxers have been allowed to compete without headguards since 2016.
- Studies showed that the protective gear leads to increased chances of concussions.
- Females have been forced to wear headgear as the study was only carried out on male athletes.
Fans of boxing will have been watching events unfold during the 2024 Olympics, as Team GB's athletes have struggled to live up to what many people had hoped they would achieve this summer. Both Delicious Orie and Rosie Eccles were among the stars who were left heartbroken by shocking results that saw them crash out of the competition in their respective weight categories.
However, eagle-eyed fans have spotted one key detail that is different between the male and female boxers, which is that the latter are forced to wear headguards during bouts while the former are not. The reason for this has been explained and it comes down to some testing that took place after the 2016 games in Rio.
Why Men Don't Have to Wear Headguards in Olympic Boxing
Headgear was first introduced for the event in 1984
Headgear was first introduced to the Olympic Games following the tragic death of South Korean fighter Kim Duk-Koo in 1984. Kim lost by TKO to Ray Mancini and collapsed into a coma just minutes after the fight ended. He passed away five days later, with a neurosurgeon attributing the fatal injury to a single punch.
Given that Olympic boxing is technically considered to be an amateur sport, meaning that no professionals are allowed to compete, it was decided the headgear would be worn to protect the inexperienced fighters from sustaining as serious of damage. This rule was in place for over 40 years, with the likes of two-time heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua sporting the equipment as he won gold during the London Olympics in 2012.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Team GB won five Olympic medals in boxing during the 2012 games, including three golds.
However, following the Rio games four years later, a study was conducted by the Global Sport Institute that showed that athletes were more likely to suffer a concussion whilst wearing headgear than not. The reasons for this were attributed to several different factors, including the fact that the headgear might create a false sense of security, leading boxers to engage in riskier behavior, and it might also increase the head's surface area, making it more prone to rotational forces that can cause brain injuries.
Why Women Still Wear Headguards
World champion Claressa Shields slammed the decision
Given the nature of the results found by the GSI, it has come as a surprise to many that women having continued to compete at this summer's games whilst wearing the headguards, with it seemingly coming at an increased risk. Former gold medalist and boxing world champion Claressa Shield's was vocal in her opposition of the rule back in 2022, saying:
“Tryna understand why do amateur boxing allow men to box without headgear but not the women!"
The explanation for this though, is that the study that was conducted only tested male athletes, and it was unknown whether or not the same results would apply to female boxers. Because of this, it has remained mandatory for headgear to be worn during women's amateur fights.
This regulation will not be in place for much longer, however, as the International Boxing Association has approved plans to remove headgear in women's boxing, subject to a three-month trial period.