Here is the picture Pat McCormack would love to repeat in just over 13 months time.
Team GB’s boxing golden boy proudly wears the prize from victory at the European Games, where he outpointed Russia’s Khariton Agrba.
His brilliant triumph in Minsk has installed him as one of the favourites, if not THE favourite, for Olympic Gold in Tokyo in August 2020.
McCormack is in the form of his life – over the last 15 months the Washington boxer has cleaned up in the welterweight division at the Commonwealth Games, European Union Championships and now European Games.
We will get a better indication of where the 24-year-old is at in September when he competes in the World Championships in Ekaterinburg in Russia.
Pat said: “This was the best medal of my career – now I’m going to push on and win the Worlds and the Olympics.
“I’ve been on good form and I’ve shown everyone I am the number one here.
“Now I want to be number one in the world.”
McCormack has given every indicator that he can be just that.
Clearly with this being the European Games, a number of the world elite were not on duty, but the way he boxed is proof of how good he is.
The Birtley ABC stopped 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2015 European Games winner, Lorenzo Sotomayor, in the last four and on Saturday boxed superbly against Agrba.
Unseeded, the Russian southpaw began aggressively, but many of his shots fell just short with McCormack using his speed of hand and feet to score.
That continued in the second round and Pat looked in a great position.
Round three became much more of a scrap which suited Agrba and the Russian looked like he took the final three minutes.
The Serbian and Cuban judges gave the last to Agrba, but all five officials were united in giving victory to Pat, 30-27 (twice) and 29-28 (x3).
Watch the whole fight here thanks to BT Sport.
“It was a good fight against a strong Russian but I kept my composure and picked the better shots,” explained Pat.
“I’m over the moon. I came here for the gold and I’ve got it so I’m a happy man.”
There was a second gold for Team GB at the Sport Palace, where Lauren Price clinched a split decision victory at middleweight against Dutch Olympic silver medallist Nouchka Fontijn.
Sadly, there was disappointment as light-heavy Ben Whittaker suffered a very tight split decision defeat to Azerbaijan’s Loren Dominguez.
Words: Roy Kelly
