Team GB in the mix for gold in the ring
The Team GB boxing squad are proving somewhat of a knockout after a largely successful first week of the Olympics.
Seven out of the nation’s largest ever Olympic boxing team are still in the hunt for medals.
Anthony Ogogo has been the most impressive thus far, overcoming the shock and emotion of his mother’s coma-inducing illness to defeat the division favourite, Khytrov, after having to come from well behind in his final round versus Castillo.
Tonight he beat Germany’s Stefan Hartel 15-10 over the three rounds to go into the semi-finals and guarantee himself a medal.
Andrew Selby is into the quarter-finals after a first round bye, and a victory over Suleimenov sees him take on Carrazana at flyweight tomorrow.
6ft 6 Anthony Joshua narrowly beat Erislandy Savon of Cuba and he followed it up with a 15-11 victory against Chinese combatant Zhang to secure himself an Olympic medal of some colour.
Bantamweight Luke Campbell has secured himself a medal after progressing through to the semi-final.
Campbell defeated Parrinello and Balakliev and is to take on Japanese fighter Shimizu on 10th August.
Josh Taylor has the unfortunate honour of being the only ousted male boxer in the squad, succumbing to Italian, Dominico Valentino in the round of 16.
Freddie Evans, meanwhile, is set to face Canadian Custio Clayton in the light welterweight quarter-final on 7th August.
Tom Stalker took on India’s Kumar after a first round bye in the Welterweight tournament and is to face Mongolian fighter, Uranchimeg in the quarter-final.
In the Women’s event, Natasha Jonas was the one to make history, becoming the first GB woman to win a boxing match in the Olympics, she beat American Queenie Underwood.
She then crashed out versus tournament favourite, Katie Taylor.
Savannah Mitchell, world champion at Middleweight was shocked by a loss against Kazakh Marina Volnova in her first fight at the quarter-final stage.
Nicola Adams also managed to guarantee herself a medal. She faces May Kom of India in the semi-finals after beating Petrova 16-7.
Whilst three may have fallen by the wayside, it seems there is plenty of hope and likelihood of a gold medal coming out of Team GB’s boxing campaign.
Adam Appleton, Boxing correspondent
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