Like all Olympic boxing events, the competition was a straight single-elimination tournament.[2] This competition consisted of 26 boxers who had qualified for the competition through various qualifying tournaments held in 2011 and 2012. The competition began with a preliminary round on 30 July, where the number of competitors was reduced to 16, and concluded with a final on 12 August.[3] As there were less than 32 boxers in the competition a number of boxers received a bye for the preliminary round. Both semifinal losers were awarded bronze medals, so no boxers competed again after their first loss.
All bouts consist of three three-minute periods where the boxers receive points for every successful punch they landed on their opponent's head or upper body.[2] The boxer with the most points at the end of the bouts wins. If a boxer is knocked to the ground and cannot get up before the referee counts to 10 then the bout is over and the opponent wins.
1904: 105 lb (47.6 kg) · 1920–1936: 112 lb (50.8 kg) · 1948–1964: 51 kg · 1968–2008: 48–51 kg · 2012: 49–52 kg · 2016: 50–52 kg · 2020–2024: up to 52 kg · 2024–: up to 51 kg