Team USA earns five medals in total, including two gold, one silver and two bronze, at the championships in Budva, Montenegro.
BUDVA, Montenegro (October 27, 2026) — Team USA finished the 2026 World Boxing U19 Championships with two gold medals on Tuesday, as Marley McNealy and team captain Lauryn Elmore captured top honors in their respective weight classes in Budva, Montenegro.
The 12-day competition featured 15 U.S. boxers eight men and seven women and concluded with Team USA earning five medals: two gold, one silver and two bronze.
Marley McNealy Wins Gold in Women’s 70 kg
Marley McNealy of San Francisco, California, opened the final day for Team USA with a gold-medal victory in the women’s 70 kg division. She defeated Uzbekistan’s Maftuna Yangieva by a 4:1 split decision.
McNealy took control early, winning the opening round 5:0. She followed with a 4:1 victory in the second round before closing out the bout with a narrow 3:2 edge in the final round.
The gold-medal performance capped an impressive run in Montenegro, where McNealy recorded four victories, including two unanimous decisions, one referee-stopped-contest (RSC) victory and her split-decision win in the final.
The title marks McNealy’s second international medal. Earlier in 2026, she earned bronze at the World Boxing Futures Cup in Thailand.
Lauryn Elmore Claims Gold After Comeback Victory
Team USA captain Lauryn Elmore of Sacramento, California, closed out the championships with a gold medal in the women’s 65 kg division. She defeated Russia’s Bella Zueva by unanimous decision, 5:0, after mounting a determined comeback.
Elmore dropped the opening round 5:0 but responded emphatically, sweeping the final two rounds by identical 5:0 scores to secure the victory and the gold medal.
Her championship run included four wins, with two victories by unanimous decision and two by 3:2 split decision.
Elmore finishes her 2026 international campaign undefeated at 7-0, with two gold medals to her credit. She now has three international medals, including a bronze earned at the 2025 Brandenburg Cup in Germany.
Ruby Lopez Earns Silver Medal
Ruby Lopez of Napa, California, added a silver medal for Team USA in the women’s 51 kg division.
Lopez reached the gold-medal bout after winning four consecutive matches in Montenegro. Her run included a unanimous-decision victory and an RSC win in the preliminary rounds, followed by a 3:2 victory over China’s representative to secure her place in the final. She also earned a 4:0 semifinal victory.
In Tuesday’s final, Lopez faced Uzbekistan’s Nazokat Mardonova but fell short by a 4:1 split decision, finishing the tournament with a silver medal.
Asaan Jenkins and Guadalupe Ruiz Take Bronze
Team USA’s medal haul also included two bronze medals.
Asaan Jenkins earned bronze in the men’s 65 kg division after winning four bouts at the championships. The result marks his second bronze medal of 2026.
Guadalupe Ruiz claimed bronze in the women’s 54 kg division after recording two victories. Her podium finish adds to an impressive year that included a gold medal at the World Boxing Futures Cup in Thailand.
Team USA’s Medalists at the 2026 World Boxing U19 Championships
Team USA finished the championships in Budva with five medalists across five weight classes.
Weight Class – Boxer – Medal – Hometown:
Women’s 70 kg – Marley McNealy – Gold – San Francisco, California
Women’s 65 kg – Lauryn Elmore – Gold – Sacramento, California
Women’s 51 kg – Ruby Lopez – Silver – Napa, California
Men’s 65 kg – Asaan Jenkins – Bronze – Washington, D.C.
Women’s 54 kg – Guadalupe Ruiz – Bronze – Anaheim, California
Team USA Looks Ahead to 2027
With the 2026 World Boxing U19 Championships complete, Team USA has concluded its international competition schedule for the year.
The USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team will now turn its attention to the 2027 competition calendar, building on a successful year highlighted by international medals and strong performances from the nation’s top young boxers.
Tuesday, October 27, 2027 Results
Women’s 70 kg: Marley McNealy (USA) def. Maftuna Yangieva (UZB), 4:1 split decision.
Women’s 51 kg: Ruby Lopez (USA) lost to Nazokat Mardonova (UZB), 4:1 split decision.
Women’s 65 kg: Lauryn Elmore (USA) def. Bella Zueva (RUS), 5:0 unanimous decision.
