Frankie: 100 per cent the Olympics were a disaster for Team GB
Frankie Gavin…Britain’s first ever World Championships winner
THE bruises are still fresh from an Olympics that has proved a calamity for Britain’s boxers.
And, make no mistake, this was a truly terrible tournament for Team GB, with five of the six strong squad falling at the first hurdle. Only light-middle Lewis Richardson medalled at Paris by capturing bronze.
With hopes so high beforehand, that makes what happened a Games disaster. Yet the four previous Olympics brought home 17 medals, seven of them gold.
The ignominy is over, the inquest has begun – and its findings cannot be conveniently filed under “bad luck, bad decisions.” That was a part of it, not all of it.
I agree Team GB fighters did not get the rub of the green from judges. There were bouts I believed they should have won, but only one stands out as a rank injustice, only one really stank. Welterweight Rosie Eccles’ split decision loss to Aneta Rygielska was, in my eyes, unfathomable.
Delicious Orie…should’ve won, but was it daylight robbery?
Do I feel our greatest medal hope, Wolverhampton super-heavy Delicious Orie, should’ve been declared winner over Aremenia’s Davit Chaloyan? Absolutely.
Do I feel it was, as is the popular belief, daylight robbery? Absolutely not: I’ve witnessed much, much worse. It was too close for that description.
Delicious swept the first, lost the second which left the contest in the balance entering the last round. That is not the stuff muggings are made of.
The draw was undoubtedly unkind on Team GB. Bantam Charley Davison opened his campaign against Turkey’s world champ Hatice Akbas; heavy Pat Brown faced world silver medallist and two time Olympian Keno Machado from Brazil; Orie, too, faced a world silver medallist; middle Chantelle Reid made her bow against Moroccan world champ Khadija Mardi.
But the reasons for Team GB’s failure to deliver run deeper than ill fortune.
Collectively, our squad was not good enough, it was weaker than those of other recent Games.
That’s partly down to the reduced Olympic cycle caused by Covid. The Tokyo Olympics took place only three years ago, leaving top brass less time to prepare for Paris.
The uncomfortable truth is our boxers lacked the top level experience and seasoning so vital for amateur sport’s ultimate challenge.
That has a lot to do with politics. The International Olympic Committee’s decision to ban the powerful, “Russian influenced” International Boxing Association reduced Team GB’s opportunities of becoming battle hardened in global tournaments.
Pat Brown had not competed in a single major international tournament before Paris.
The number of top amateurs who turned pro rather than wait for the Games also hit Britain hard.
The row is destined to rumble on. But here are the thoughts of some of the region’s top fight figures.
Frankie Gavin, one of Birmingham’s most decorated amateurs and a world championships gold medallist. “The quick turnaround from the last Olympics meant there was not a lot of time to build a team.
“There are a lot of coaches who have not done it at that level, they haven’t got the experience at that level. You need to have that experience, you need to build from the bottom to the top to understand. I think Team GB are all over the place.
“One hundred per cent it was a disaster. The judging (in amateur boxing) is terrible from bottom to top. This could’ve been the year for fighters like Dennis McCann and Moses Itauma. They’ve gone (to the pro ranks) because they were not looked after the way they should’ve been.”
Jon Pegg…”I just think we weren’t up to scratch”
Jon Pegg, top pro manager. “Politics is part of it – we couldn’t go to as many quality tournaments. We also had a year when it was a weaker side. I’ve been watching the Olympics for a long time and there have always been outrageous decisions. We do seem to have copped a few, but we’ve also benefited from a few – people forget that. A lot of people think Anthony Joshua shouldn’t have won a gold medal.
“This time I think the Rosie Eccles one was (an outrageous decision), the others were just close decisions. Is it sometimes political? It shouldn’t be, but you can’t help feeling it happens.
“I just think we weren’t quite up to scratch. We’ve had clear favourites in past Olympics, this time I don’t think there were any clear favourites.”
Edwin Cleary with his pro prospect Danny Quartermaine
Edwin Cleary, head of Clearys gym in Leamington which includes Commonwealth Games heavyweight gold medallist Lewis Williams. “This Games seems to be stacked with absolutely experienced tournament boxers, there were fighters having their second go at the Olympics. Team GB was a little inexperienced.
“It’s my opinion, but with the quality of the GB squad – and I’m not just talking about the squad that went to the Olympics – I would like to see five or six competing for a place in each category and keep every fighter under pressure.”
Jason Lowe, co-founder of Birmingham’s award-winning Women’s Boxing Club. “The standard has not been good enough, the judging has not been good enough, the refereeing has not been good enough. You have two heavyweights in the ring and a referee the size of a welterweight.
“Team GB need to look at what they haven’t been doing. It’s a fast, fast, tip-tap sport. Yet boxers are standing there throwing punches like pros.
“Boxing has been in this country for well over a hundred years. Tell me, after well over 100 years experience and the boxers Team GB have to pick from, why we only came away with one bronze medal.”