‘Weak’ boxer now gunning for gold

PARIS – Once told he was too weak to box, Frenchman Jerome Thomas is now in search of an Olympic gold medal.

The 29-year-old flyweight has a hand that needed surgery seven times and his left arm is shorter than his right. All skin and bones, he is not the archetypical boxer, physically speaking, even for his weight class.”For my first international fight, at the pre-fight examination, the doctor told me I couldn’t box,” he said.”My trainer convinced him I could.After a few wins, nobody argued whether I could box.”He proved the sceptics wrong by becoming France’s first amateur world champion in 2001, winning an Olympic bronze medal in 2000 in Sydney and a silver four years later in Athens.Something is missing, obviously, and he is set on grabbing that elusive gold at the Beijing Games next month.”I want gold and nothing else,” he said.Thomas was reluctant to take off his clothes when he was a teenager because he was ashamed of his puny body and he took up boxing almost by accident.He wanted to do judo but there was no room for him in the class so he tried the door opposite, where boxing was being taught, and was invited in.He had his first fight aged 10.Thomas did not seem to be physically suited to make a success of boxing, partly because he could not separate the fingers of his left hand.A series of operations have fixed that problem and, although his left hand is not as strong as his right, making his jabs weaker than he would wish, he has an advantage his longer right arm.He compensates for his lack of power by hand speed and a brilliant technique honed by years of graft.Nampa-ReutersAll skin and bones, he is not the archetypical boxer, physically speaking, even for his weight class.”For my first international fight, at the pre-fight examination, the doctor told me I couldn’t box,” he said.”My trainer convinced him I could.After a few wins, nobody argued whether I could box.”He proved the sceptics wrong by becoming France’s first amateur world champion in 2001, winning an Olympic bronze medal in 2000 in Sydney and a silver four years later in Athens.Something is missing, obviously, and he is set on grabbing that elusive gold at the Beijing Games next month.”I want gold and nothing else,” he said.Thomas was reluctant to take off his clothes when he was a teenager because he was ashamed of his puny body and he took up boxing almost by accident.He wanted to do judo but there was no room for him in the class so he tried the door opposite, where boxing was being taught, and was invited in.He had his first fight aged 10.Thomas did not seem to be physically suited to make a success of boxing, partly because he could not separate the fingers of his left hand.A series of operations have fixed that problem and, although his left hand is not as strong as his right, making his jabs weaker than he would wish, he has an advantage his longer right arm.He compensates for his lack of power by hand speed and a brilliant technique honed by years of graft.Nampa-Reuters