• European Amateur Boxing Championships

Double boxing gold augurs well for London 2012

ESPN staff
June 24, 2011
Andrew Selby win the flyweight competition © PA Photos
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Great British Olympic medal hopes Andrew Selby and Fred Evans earned Wales' first European amateur titles in 86 years in Turkey on Friday.

Selby, who had twice claimed bronze, won the flyweight competition at the European Championships, defeating three-time champion Georgy Balakshin 13-10.

Evans then made it a superb double for Wales when he beat Mahamed Nurudzinau 15-9 for a comfortable triumph in the welterweight division.

The duo's victories secured Britain's best performance at the Championships for half a century, and double-gold added to the title Luke Campbell picked up in 2008, which was Britain's first for 60 years.

Liverpool's Tom Stalker added to the feel-good factor with silver in the light-welterweight division, while London light-flyweight Charlie Edwards took bronze.

GB Boxing's performance director, Rob McCracken said: "The European Championships is just about the toughest assignment in the amateur boxing calendar so to come away with two gold, one silver and a bronze is a fantastic performance and augurs very well for the World Championships later this year and the Olympics in 2012.

"The medal winners have all boxed fantastically well throughout the week and thoroughly deserve their rewards. Once again, the team has performed superbly at a major Championship and shown that we can hold our own against the world's top amateur boxing nations."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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