Bad Timing Alert—U.S. Boxer Javier Molina Finds Hole In Lungs After Losing His First Round Bout

There are a lot of stories about Olympians who fought through hardships to get to the Games, and all of them well deserved. But what if you arrived to the Games unaware there was another foe besides your boxing opponent. That’s the story of Commerce’s boxing hopeful Javier Molina, who was found to have a hole in his lungs after “complaining of shortness of breath and a sore throat” during the Opening Ceremonies. The boxer was too spent to even work out fully in the days leading up to his bout with Bulgarian Boris Georgiev and lost in the first round of matches. That, friends, is dedication.

Dr. Bill Kuprevich, the team’s chief physician, said that the cause of the hole remained unclear, but that Molina’s health was not in danger. The hole was too small, Kuprevich said, for radiologists to detect its location, though its effects had prevented Molina from engaging in full workouts for the past two days. Campbell said Molina was not cleared to box until 8 p.m. Saturday.

“He did the best he could,” [United States coach Dan Campbell] said. “I think after the first round, it affected him a lot. It was a big difference to Javi tonight.”

Having a hole in your lung? Yeah, we’d say that would affect anyone trying to dodge punches and breathe normally while getting his chest hammered. And alas, there probably goes another Latino for the 2012 Games.
Doctors Diagnose Hole in Defeated U.S. Boxer’s Lung [NY Times]
Image [LA Times]