Junior flyweight Luis Yanez was recently reinstated to the Olympic boxing team last Wednesday two weeks after the Duncanville, Texas native was kicked off the team for missing several weeks of training. USA Boxing had dropped Yanez after violating the residency program, revived by team coach Dan Campbell. After a 24-year absence, the reinstitution of the program has been the cause of friction between various members of the Olympic team who were more comfortable training at home with their regular coaches. Campbell claims that the mandatory residency at the Colorado Springs, Colorado training center is an important factor in building team unity and improving the teams struggling adaption to the international rules.
While remaining in his hometown of Duncanville, Yanez had been absent for most of June and failed to keep in contact with his coaches to explain his need to stay in Dallas according to Campbell and USA Boxing CEO Jim Millman. Yanez had claimed he needed to stay in Texas to tend to family issues surrounding his sister's addiction to drugs, but would not go into further details when pressed by Campbell.
Two days after USA Boxing's judicial committee upheld the decision to ban him, Yanez struck a deal for reinstatement. Per the deal, Yanez agreed make a public apology, undergo counseling and pay a fine.
"I want to thank USA Boxing for its understanding and sense of forgiveness," Yanez was quoted in a released statement. "I sincerely apologize to Head Coach Campbell, to my teammates and to USA Boxing for not only breaking the rules of the Athletic Code of Conduct, but also my lack of candor regarding the circumstances of my absence from the Resident Program. Coach Campbell and USA Boxing gave me the opportunity to return to the program so that I could compete in Beijing and I was irresponsible in ignoring their flexibility and not forthcoming with them throughout my absence."
It's been no secret that Yanez, a two-time U.S. champion, and Coach Campbell have not seen eye-to-eye, especially in regard to the training regime that the fighters are under. Yanez had claimed that Campbell's training techniques did not push the fighters as hard as they were used to, lamenting the fact that he trained better when he was at his hometown gym. Campbell has gone on record disapproving of Yanez's flashy style and in-ring antics.