ORLANDO, Fla. The very contested Olympic Games world qualifying boxing event in Italy in March was a triumph of persistence. Omari Jones, an Orlando local, proved his skill and commitment by punching his way into the Paris Olympics qualifying round.
Omari Jones, who was just eighteen, knew exactly what he wanted out of life. In an interview, Jones laid out his plans with a Miami-based cameraman.
“I want to win the gold medal, and I will go to the international tournament, win gold there, and in the next three years, you will see me at the 2024 Olympics,” Jones stated at the time.
At the age of 21, he is finally seeing his ambitions come true, but success is accompanied by failure.
“My first qualifier, I came up short at the Pan American Games,” Jones stated.
He was forced to return home to Florida and concentrate on a world qualifying competition in Italy rather than trying to qualify for the Olympics in Paris.
“There, I had to fight four times against four tough opponents,” Jones stated. “This tournament was actually harder than the first qualifier because you have to fight all the countries in the world.”
Karl Jones, one of his coaches, and the father of the Orlando native have been there for him through all the highs and lows.
“It was tough, but once the fight gets started, I’m a little more relaxed because I can see him doing his thing,” said Karl Jones.
The father, Jones, added that watching his son easily defeat three opponents in the first round was the hardest part of the fight.
“We always have that eye contact at the end of each round, and he always looks for that nod,” said Karl Jones.In Italy, that father-son nod was all over the place. At 156 pounds, Omari Jones secured a spot in the Olympics.
It’s a dream come true, he remarked.
Jones expressed his hope that the younger generation will be motivated by his tale of tenacity.
“I really didn’t have that much success as an early amateur,” he stated. Silver gloves are where I lost them. I suffered three or four losses at the nationals. I simply felt that my years of consistency have brought me to this position.”
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