One of the United States’ best hopes for a boxing medal will not compete in the Olympics after collapsing early Friday morning in a final effort to make weight.

The coach of the United States’ boxing team, Dan Campbell, said Gary Russell Jr., 20, a two-time national champion, was trying to shave a few extra pounds to get down to the required weight for a bantamweight, 119 pounds, when he fainted at the Olympic Village.

Russell was found at about 2:30 a.m. by his roommate and teammate, Luis Yanez, who alerted Campbell to call paramedics. They found him in what Campbell called an “extremely dehydrated” state.

They fed him fluids and stabilised his blood pressure, Campbell said. Russell remained under medical attention through Friday morning. He was not cleared in time to attend the mandatory weigh-in. Russell has not had to fight at 119 since last November's world championships.

Not sweating

Campbell said he and his staff grew alarmed a few days ago when they noticed that Russell had not been sweating in workouts as much as his teammates. They urged him to increase his fluid intake, particularly considering the brutal heat and humidity here. Campbell said he was skeptical that Russell did. “These kids, when they’re trying to cut weight, their idea is to take shortcuts,” Campbell said. Campbell said Russell, who was putting off shoulder surgery until after the Olympics, was devastated and wanted to leave immediately and return home to Washington but that he planned to meet with him and the USA Boxing chief executive officer Jim Millman before deciding.

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