HISTORY OF BOXING AT THE OLYMPICS

Boxing made its Olympic debut at the 1904 Games in St Louis, where the USA - as the only country entered in the event - took all the medals.

Since its inclusion at the Games, boxing has been staged at each Olympics except for Stockholm in 1912, due to Swedish law forbidding the sport.

Women's boxing will make its debut at the 2012 Games, with three weight divisions to be contested.

The Olympics has been the birthplace to some of the sport's biggest names, with Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), George Foreman and Oscar de la Hoya all winning Olympic gold before embarking on stellar professional careers.

Ted Morgan won New Zealand's only Olympic boxing gold in Amsterdam in 1928 and Kevin Barry famously won silver in Los Angeles when Evander Holyfield was disqualified with a punch after the bell. Former world heavyweight contender David Tua won bronze in Barcelona.

No NZ male boxers have qualified for London with Auckland female boxers Alexis Pritchard and Siona Fernandes the only representatives.