Olympic gold medal hopeful Jahmal Harvey aims to ‘dominate’ his weight class

Jahmal Harvey, 21, is a 2024 U.S. Olympian who previously won gold at the 2021 World Championships in the featherweight division and at the 2023 Pan-Am Games. Harvey, considered the U.S. men’s best chance for gold at the 2024 Paris Games, spoke to BoxingScene ahead of his anticipated Olympic run.

BoxingScene: How important is winning the triple crown, which would be adding an Olympic gold medal to your wins at the AIBA world championships in 2021 and Pan-Am Games in 2023? 

Harvey: It’s something I definitely thought about as far as I care about it. I do care about it now, because the Olympic gold was the goal. That’s the goal, that’s the dream – so I would turn in my other two medals just for that Olympic gold. But it definitely is something I care about now just because I want the Olympic gold. The other two were just along the journey and along the road to get there.

BoxingScene: What have you learned from your international fights?

Harvey: I rewatch my AIBA world championship debut just to see that I have come a lot further. I am sharper with punches, faster and stronger. Definitely was a big difference when I was 18. I had to box smart and be smart. We were all men, but now I’m able to walk people down more.

BS: Do you feel you are the gold standard for your weight class in the Olympics?

Harvey: I did what I had to do to dominate my weight class. My name was always known overseas; all the countries, most of the coaches and fighters knew me. I feel like I’m definitely one of the top dogs at featherweight coming into the Olympics.

BS: What do you want from boxing?

Harvey: I don’t know what I want. I just want boxing to keep me happy. It’s just fun to go compete at a high level. I love boxing so much, it doesn’t feel like a job. 

BS: Where you are from, PG County – Oxon Hill, Maryland – has had a lot of star athletes, like Kevin Durant. Are you the next one?

Harvey: Hopefully. I am working. I’m going to be one of the greats, definitely. People know me. I definitely try to give back to my community and stuff, so hopefully I’ll be one of the next top athletes coming out of Prince George’s County.

BS: Are we going to see something with you and NFL No. 1 pick Caleb Williams at some point this year?

Harvey: Only time will tell. Yeah, I support Caleb Williams. We actually played on the same seven-on-seven league with Coach Mark back in the day, in football for DMV Elite. I want say I was like 11 or 12 at the time.

BS: Can you explain this moment in your life, knowing you are about to fight at the Olympics?

Harvey: I mean, it’s just exciting to me. I’m just living life, having fun, going with it. It means a lot, and has me in a better mindset. I’m just working hard, happy to work out, just getting better and better every day.

BS: How bad do you want gold?

Harvey: I want it bad. To become an Olympic gold medalist, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m going to be working real hard, putting my body on the line, just pushing myself.

BS: You started a vlog on the internet, right?

Harvey: Oh, it’s going good. Sometimes it is hard to figure out what’s interesting. I just feel like every day of my life is interesting.