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21/04/2008
Final European Olympic qualification tournament Athens - a summary
This was the third and final chance for European and hence Great Britain's boxers to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
GB had already qualified 7 boxers, all from England, for Beijing. Four qualified in October, at the World Championships which took place in Chicago, then three more boxers qualified in Pescara a month ago, leaving four weight classes available to GB in Athens.
48kg "Womble" Darran Langley, Hollington ABC, Camberwell, London, made a terrific start to the tournament with a win over Italian, double European silver medalist, and Athen's Olympic bronze medalist, Alfonso Pinto.
In his second contest Darran was beaten, on points by fleet footed Spaniard Jose Nieve, who went on to qualify for Beijing. Nieve had previously beaten Darran narrowly on points in the European Union Championships in Dublin.
Darran had come to Athens, having not been selected for the Pescara qualifier and after recovering from virtually 2 years of injury since winning gold in the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Darran's great start to this tournament only added to his frustration when he didn't up his game to cope with the very capable Nieve.
57kg Stephen "Swifty" Smith, Rotunda ABC, Liverpool, reigning Commonwealth champion, had two good wins, then, for a third time, in attempting to qualify for Beijing, had fought his way to the Olympic qualifying bout, only to have his dream "messed" away from him by Italy's Alessio di Savino, who went on to win the tournament.
As in Pescara, Stephen had performed well only to be foiled at the last hurdle, he is more than good enough to be an Olympian, he deserves to be in Beijing, but the sporting Gods were not with him.
91kg "Brave Heart" Stephen Simmons, Leith Victoria ABC, Scotland, was robbed blind in what was an atrocious display of judging and refereeing against Romania's, southpaw, Petrisor Gananau.
Stephen always gives everything he has, in effort, every time he boxes, to see his Olympic mission come to an end in such an unfair way was difficult for Stephen and the team to take. Simmons put his personal, disappointment behind him and stayed positive doing everything he could to support the boxers left in the tournament, that's the mark of the man!
91kg "Priceless" Danny Price, Westway ABC, Scarborough, Yorkshire, suffered at the hands of the judges first time up, against Hungary's Darmos Jozsef. Danny has the talent to destroy the Hungarian, so whilst he got a rough decision he has himself to blame as he could have put the contest even beyond a, Dick Turpin, quintet of judges.
91+kg 24 year old, 6' 9" "Dynamite" Dave Price, Salisbury ABC, Liverpool, reigning Commonwealth champ, was exemplary all week, he came to qualify and he qualified in style. Two 20 point stoppages and the thorough walloping of 2006. World Junior champion, Romania's, Cristian Ciocan has sent a message out that the giant Liverpudlian is a serious proposition in Beijing.
It's taken Dave 3 tournaments and 9 contests to qualify. Going into the qualifiers he was, and is, rated worldwide as a serious prospect for gold in Beijing. Injury at the Worlds, Dave broke his left hand winning his third contest, then poor officialdom in Pescara, meant Dynamite had blasted his way to the qualifying bout 3 times. In Athens Dave made sure he will be a big force in Beijing.
Praise must go to all the GB boxers and particularly to the England boxing squad for the force England has become on the world stage. Terry Edwards and his back-up team from the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, have much to be proud of, but, as Terry said to the boxers and support staff after Athens: "this is not the end, nor is it the beginning of the end, but it's the end of the beginning." Terry had a Second World War helmet on and was chomping on an unlit cigar, with Churchill's V for victory salute as he made this statement.
GB and Beijing await the deeds of the GB boxing team in the Olympics, you can be sure "The Great 8" will do their country proud.
The team at Terminal 5, blissfully unaware that their baggage is somewhere else...
A triumphant David Price
Terry Edwards signals how many gold medals expected of GB in Beijing
To view footage of Boarshaw Olympian Joe Murray talking to local Manchester TV station Channel M about his hopes for Beijing click here