Queen Underwood headed to Olympics in London

USA Boxing said the 28-year-old lightweight from Seattle has been awarded a berth in the first Olympic women’s boxing tournament in London. (AP Photo/File)

After a few weeks of uneasy waiting, Queen Underwood learned last week she’ll get to fight for an Olympic medal.

“It was a long wait and I didn’t know how they were going to make the decision,” Underwood told 97.3 KIRO FM’s Ross & Burbank.

USA Boxing said the 28-year-old lightweight from Seattle has been awarded a berth in the first Olympic women’s boxing tournament in London.

Underwood is a five-time national champion who won the first U.S. Olympic boxing team trials in February. But she dropped a one-point decision to Norway’s Ingrid Egner in the preliminary round of the world championships in China last month, falling just short of Olympic qualification and jeopardizing her berth in London’s 12-fighter lightweight field.

Underwood finally learned on June 18 she had been chosen for an Olympic spot by AIBA, the international governing body of amateur boxing. The news reduced her to tears.

A documentary film crew was with her at 9:45 a.m. when she was told to expect a call with the decision. There was a long speech according to Underwood, then they finally said “welcome to the team.”

“I just broke down, the happiness, and everything,” said Underwood. When she got off the phone, she put on her USA gear and celebrated.

Underwood’s selection means the American team will have a fighter in each of the three weight classes when women’s boxing is contested for the first time as an Olympic event. Flyweight Marlen Esparza and middleweight Claressa Shields earned Olympic spots at the world championships after winning the trials with Underwood.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.