British Olympic Boxing: Flying the Flag – The Great Eight

As British hopefuls prepare for the boxing in Beijing this weekend, today it seems that ʼfavouriteʼ Frankie Gavin is struggling to make the lightweight limit and may not get his olympic-shot at a medal. The Birmingham man has 106 wins to his name out of 127 bouts and was considered a leading candidate for a Gold Medal in Beijing.

Other medal contenders include Joe Murray – brother of John Murray, the recently crowned British Lightweight Champion. Joe – a tall boxer for a bantamweight, has plenty of experience but knows this will be a tough test for him.

Khalid Saeed Yafai, another Birmingham man, appears confident at ʽFlyweightʼ. Stockton-on-Tees boxer Bradley Saunders knows the competition is high in his weight division, but with 146 bouts under his belt – the light welterweight remains calm and focussed.

Youngest of the bunch – Billy Joe Saunders – has bags of confidence. Seeking perfection, this young welterweight will have his sights set on a Gold.

Middleweight James DeGale is looking to prove himself to the UK audience. Tony Jeffries of Sunderland is the light heavyweight contender and David Price of Liverpool, the eldest of the eight Olympic contenders, fights at super heavyweight.

The opening ceremony was last night and the boxing begins today.