Terrell Gausha

Sport: Boxing

Nation: United States of America

DOB: September 9, 1987

Career Highlights: Perhaps more than any other American boxer, Gausha is fortunate to be headed to the Games. He didn't compete at the U.S. Olympic trials in 2011, but winner Jesse Hart failed to qualify for London at the world championships. That left the door open for Gausha, who reached the final of the national championships in March and would face Hart with Olympic qualification hanging in the balance. The bout was a rematch from the 2009 national final, which Gausha won after Hart was disqualified in the third round, and the latest fight was no less controversial. Gausha landed a blow before the final bell to even the score at 10, and with the first tiebreaker of punch count knotted at 34, the bout went to a judges' poll that Gausha won 3-2. That left Hart storming out of the ring and sent Gausha to the Americas Olympic Qualifier in Rio, where he easily won his first two bouts to claim a spot in London en route to winning the title. "Dreams really do come true," said Gausha, the father of a four-year-old daughter. After winning the 2009 U.S. championships and losing his only bout at the worlds later that year, Gausha left the national scene to compete in the World Series of Boxing for the Memphis Force and Los Angeles Matadors. He's competed in the national Golden Gloves tournament five times, but his only finish better than seventh was a runner-up result in 2010.

Olympic History: None