penetrator
08-07-2008, 06:06 PM
How the fuck can our best prospect for a gold in the olympics boxing not be able to make his weight, it's a fucking disgrace. The pikey bastard and the team around him need a good prodding in the arse with a red hot poker.
Medal hope Gavin out of Olympics
British gold medal prospect Frankie Gavin has pulled out of the Olympic Games having failed to make his weight.
The lightweight world amateur champion is now flying home from the Team GB training camp in Macau.
Gavin, 23, would have needed to weigh in at 60kg (9st 6lb) on every day he competed in Beijing but was 3lb (1.36kg) over that mark on Thursday.
British former Olympic medallist Richie Woodhall questioned team planning, describing it as a "total let-down".
Southpaw Gavin had beaten every major competitor in his Olympic class after becoming the first Briton to win an amateur world title in Chicago last year.
But with one of Britain's brightest boxing medal hopes now suddenly not able to compete in Beijing, Gavin's preparations and the team's decision to enter him in that category will be scrutinised.
"Regrettably it is clear that Frankie will not make his weight before tomorrow morning's weigh-in," admitted head coach Terry Edwards on Thursday.
"Frankie has been working his whole boxing career towards the Olympic Games and he is obviously completely devastated.
"He gave 110% but it is the last bit, where you have to shed the water, that is crucial.
"In the end there was nothing left to come off and at that stage I took the responsibility of withdrawing him.
"I didn't want Frankie to suffer any ill-effects to his health from being that dehydrated."
Woodhall, who won light-middleweight (71kg) bronze at Seoul 1988, told BBC Sport he could not accept a boxer failing to make the weight for an Olympic event.
"There's that many people - nutritionists, physiotherapists - involved these days that are paid good money," said Woodhall.
"It's been a total let-down by everyone. Making the weight is just not an issue - you make the weight."
Edwards felt Gavin had done everything he could to make his weight.
"He was determined to go ahead and give it his best shot, which I think he did," Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"That determination and attitude shows that, in my opinion, Frankie hasn't failed. I think he is a tremendous talent and he will come back from this.
"It was my decision. Frankie did everything I asked him to do and maybe a little bit more and in the end I decided he had done enough and I called it a day.
"It was one of the hardest decisions I have made in my boxing career. I made it for the right reasons, to protect the health and safety of one of my boxers. There was no argument."
Gavin, from Birmingham, was supremely confident ahead of Beijing, telling BBC Sport: "I should win [at] the Olympics."
But BBC boxing commentator Mike Costello said he had struggled to make the weight all year.
"For the first time in his life he has been training like a professional not an amateur, and he has been getting bigger as a result and fighting a running battle with his weight."
Costello said Gavin was not able to step up to the heavier class because fellow British boxing team-mate Bradley Saunders had already qualified in the light-welterweight.
"At the Olympics, the boxers have to make the weight every day they box," said Costello.
"Even if he had made the first weigh-in he might have struggled afterwards. Dehydration might have become a real problem."
Tommy Chaney, Gavin's amateur coach at the Hall Green boxing club in Birmingham, said Gavin's predicament should not be allowed to affect the rest of the British team.
"Frankie feels like his world has fallen in," said Chaney.
"It's important now that the attention is shifted to the remaining seven boxers who all have a fantastic chance to medal.
"That's what Frankie wants and he'll be watching avidly on the television despite how upset he is right now."
Gavin must now decide if he is to remain an amateur until the London Olympics in 2012, or turn professional - as he was already expected to do following Beijing.
Team GB chief Simon Clegg, confirming Gavin's departure from the squad, said: "It is always regretful when an athlete who has qualified for the Olympic Games is unable to compete.
"The BOA's focus is now to support its remaining 312 Team GB athletes who begin competing this Saturday."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/boxing/7546521.stm
Medal hope Gavin out of Olympics
British gold medal prospect Frankie Gavin has pulled out of the Olympic Games having failed to make his weight.
The lightweight world amateur champion is now flying home from the Team GB training camp in Macau.
Gavin, 23, would have needed to weigh in at 60kg (9st 6lb) on every day he competed in Beijing but was 3lb (1.36kg) over that mark on Thursday.
British former Olympic medallist Richie Woodhall questioned team planning, describing it as a "total let-down".
Southpaw Gavin had beaten every major competitor in his Olympic class after becoming the first Briton to win an amateur world title in Chicago last year.
But with one of Britain's brightest boxing medal hopes now suddenly not able to compete in Beijing, Gavin's preparations and the team's decision to enter him in that category will be scrutinised.
"Regrettably it is clear that Frankie will not make his weight before tomorrow morning's weigh-in," admitted head coach Terry Edwards on Thursday.
"Frankie has been working his whole boxing career towards the Olympic Games and he is obviously completely devastated.
"He gave 110% but it is the last bit, where you have to shed the water, that is crucial.
"In the end there was nothing left to come off and at that stage I took the responsibility of withdrawing him.
"I didn't want Frankie to suffer any ill-effects to his health from being that dehydrated."
Woodhall, who won light-middleweight (71kg) bronze at Seoul 1988, told BBC Sport he could not accept a boxer failing to make the weight for an Olympic event.
"There's that many people - nutritionists, physiotherapists - involved these days that are paid good money," said Woodhall.
"It's been a total let-down by everyone. Making the weight is just not an issue - you make the weight."
Edwards felt Gavin had done everything he could to make his weight.
"He was determined to go ahead and give it his best shot, which I think he did," Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"That determination and attitude shows that, in my opinion, Frankie hasn't failed. I think he is a tremendous talent and he will come back from this.
"It was my decision. Frankie did everything I asked him to do and maybe a little bit more and in the end I decided he had done enough and I called it a day.
"It was one of the hardest decisions I have made in my boxing career. I made it for the right reasons, to protect the health and safety of one of my boxers. There was no argument."
Gavin, from Birmingham, was supremely confident ahead of Beijing, telling BBC Sport: "I should win [at] the Olympics."
But BBC boxing commentator Mike Costello said he had struggled to make the weight all year.
"For the first time in his life he has been training like a professional not an amateur, and he has been getting bigger as a result and fighting a running battle with his weight."
Costello said Gavin was not able to step up to the heavier class because fellow British boxing team-mate Bradley Saunders had already qualified in the light-welterweight.
"At the Olympics, the boxers have to make the weight every day they box," said Costello.
"Even if he had made the first weigh-in he might have struggled afterwards. Dehydration might have become a real problem."
Tommy Chaney, Gavin's amateur coach at the Hall Green boxing club in Birmingham, said Gavin's predicament should not be allowed to affect the rest of the British team.
"Frankie feels like his world has fallen in," said Chaney.
"It's important now that the attention is shifted to the remaining seven boxers who all have a fantastic chance to medal.
"That's what Frankie wants and he'll be watching avidly on the television despite how upset he is right now."
Gavin must now decide if he is to remain an amateur until the London Olympics in 2012, or turn professional - as he was already expected to do following Beijing.
Team GB chief Simon Clegg, confirming Gavin's departure from the squad, said: "It is always regretful when an athlete who has qualified for the Olympic Games is unable to compete.
"The BOA's focus is now to support its remaining 312 Team GB athletes who begin competing this Saturday."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/boxing/7546521.stm