William Ward (16 July 1993 – 4 August 2013) was an Australian amateur boxer selected for the 2012 Summer Olympics in the light flyweight division.

Contents

• 1 Career
• 2 2012 Olympic record
• 3 Personal life and death
• 4 References

Career

Ward began his sporting career as a gymnast, winning a Queensland junior *le in 2004. He switched to boxing in 2006 and the following year won an Australian junior *le.

His boxing was curtailed by Ross River Fever in 2008 but he fought on and in 2011 he made the semifinals of the Australian Under 19 championships as a flyweight. The following year, he stepped up to open compe*ion and dropped a weight division to light flyweight. He won both the Australian *le and the Oceania Olympic Qualification tournament that year to earn a place at the London Olympic Games.

2012 Olympic record

• Round of 32: lost to Yosbany Veitia (Cuba) on points 4-26

Personal life and death

Ward was noted for his short stature and curly red hair. He told the Sydney Morning Herald, most people *ume he was a jockey rather than a boxer. The Gladstone Observer reported that when he returned to Gladstone after winning the Oceania qualifier, he was met by a group of fans wearing red curly wigs.

Ward committed suicide on 4 August 2013, aged 20, in Gladstone, Queensland.

References