LAS VEGAS – Freddie Roach will try to put America’s Olympic boxing back on the gold standard.
USA Boxing and Roach announced Saturday morning that the Hall of Fame trainer will help select and train the U.S. team for the 2012 London Games.
“It’s a little embarrassing for America right now,’’ Roach said about 12 hours before working Manny Pacquiao’s corner in a welterweight title fight against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand. “We’ve got to change that. We’ve got to bring some gold back to this country.’’
U.S. boxers failed to win gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. The Americans left China with one medal, a bronze by heavyweight Deontay Wilder. The last American gold medalist was unbeaten super-middleweight Andre Ward at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Roach was offered $75,000 to work with the U.S. team, according to his agent Nick Khan. But Roach gave the money back to the United States Olympic Committee, Khan said.
The Roach-USA Boxing partnership will include Olympic training at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Roach is expected to share the training duties with U.S. National coach Joe Zanders.
Over the last three Olympics, the U.S. team has been plagued by politics and turmoil, including interference from fathers and personal coaches. The American fighters listened more to them than they did to coaches on American staff. Roach said he will attempt to work with everybody.
“I want everybody to learn and maybe I can learn something,’’ said Roach, who plans to travel to amateur tournament whenever possible.
Roach said he was first approached by Pacquiao about coaching the Filipino team for the London Games.
“But I’m an American,’’ Roach said. “I asked to work with the American team.’’
