The upcoming Golden Girl Championships is perhaps the strongest edition in the history of the tournament, and will be taking place in Boras, Sweden.

This competition will be the first international tournament of 2015, and elite women’s boxers, plus youth and junior competitors are eligible to take part in the event.

For both young age groups, the Championships will be excellent preparation for the upcoming AIBA Women’s Youth & Junior World Boxing Championships which are scheduled for Chinese Taipei in May.

Fast facts
What: Golden Girl Championships
Where: Boras, Sweden
When: 9-11 January 2015

The Tension and the Drama
Russia, one of the leading women’s boxing squads in the world compete in Boras, and their young and talented boxers have won several medals in the major tournaments over the last year, with three of their promising hopes earning golds in the 8th AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Jeju.

The question is, after such a successful 2014, can the Russian’s continue their dominance over the next 12 months?

The most anticipated battle of the event
One of the Olympic Games categories, the Women’s Middleweight class (75 kg) could be the most difficult division to win in Boras, as former AIBA Women’s World Champion and London 2012 Olympian Anna Laurell will be trying to defend her throne in the event, but two younger hopes will also be trying to start their year off with a bang.

The host nation’s rising hope, and one of tallest Middleweights is AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Love Holgersson is a contender, as is Russia’s AIBA Women’s World Championships quarter-finalist Iaroslava Iakushina, who eliminated England’s defending champion Savannah Marshall in Jeju.

Ones to watch in the event
Russia’s EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships silver medallist Sayana Sagatayeva is a natural talent despite beginning her boxing career very late in 2010.

After several years of experience, she has reached the top level of the Women’s Flyweight class (51 kg).

Her teammate, current AIBA Women’s World Champion Anastasia Beliakova has moved down a weight class since her gold medal in Jeju and will be fighting at the Lightweight class (60 kg) in Boras.

Sweden’s Agnes Alexiusson joined the elite level at the start of this year, and will aim to show her developing skills in front of her home fans.

Alexiusson claimed the gold medal at the EUBC European Women’s Youth Continental Championships in Assisi, Italy last year and achieved a bronze medal at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games in August.

The Swedish star is only 18, but has had more than 60 bouts during her career, and is being touted as a possible superstar.

Fact of the event
175 boxers have registered to take part in the Golden Girl Championships, with eleven strong nations such as Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Uganda sending teams to the competition.

Canada, Lithuania, Scotland and Uganda will be competing in the event for the very first time at the weekend.

History of the event
The first edition of the Golden Girl Championships was held in Boras in 2010 where the winners were mostly local boxers.

Sweden’s former AIBA Women’s World Champion veteran Anna Laurell returned to the world of boxing in the fourth edition of the Golden Girl Championships one year ago and six of the titleholders will aim to defend their titles in the upcoming event.

Titleholders of the elite event from 2014
48 kg: Elin Roennlund, Sweden
51 kg: Camilla Johanssen, Norway
54 kg: Julianna Soederstroem, Sweden
57 kg, Group A: Linnea Strandell, Sweden
57 kg, Group B: Sagal Adan, Sweden
60 kg: Mira Potkonen, Finland
64 kg: Patricia Berghult, Sweden
69 kg: Hazel Gale, England
75 kg: Anna Laurell, Sweden

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