How often do you hear the cliché in football of how the fans are the 12th man?
One of Great Britain’s premier boxers believes the home support will provide that factor for the 13-strong squad competing at the Olympic Qualifier in London from March 14-24.
Washington’s Pat McCormack will spearhead the GB team, not just at the Copperbox Arena in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park but surely in Tokyo too in the summer.
The 24-year-old is not only favourite to win the welterweight section in London but is a strong contender for gold in Japan.
McCormack was unlucky not to come away from the World Championship in Russia last year with the title, the final stopped on a bad cut as he lost out to Andrei Zamkovai.
But it means he starts 2020 as one of the leading boxers at U69 kilos and he is excited at the prospect of booking his Tokyo place in our capital city.
“It will be unbelievable to qualify for the Olympic Games in my own country,” McCormack told punch-lines at GB’s media day at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
“It will make a massive difference to be somewhere where the crowd want you to win.
“Last year I was boxing in the World Championship final against a Russian in Russia.
“When I walked out there I knew everyone in there was wanting me to get beaten.
“Now I can’t wait for the Copperbox in March when my opponents are going to feel how I did in Russia while every shot I throw will be cheered, even if it misses!
“I think the crowd will make a massive difference, when the fans are cheering it helps you really get into the rhythm and into a great flow.
“I do believe I will box much better with all the support in there.”
Pat is just one of the magnificent seven male boxers out of the group of eight who have won at least one medal at a major (European or world) championship.
He took silver in Russia where featherweight, Peter McGrail and light-heavyweight, Ben Whittaker took bronze.
The trio are joined by four medallists at the 2017 Europeans: Galal Yafai, Luke McCormack, Cheavon Clarke, and Frazer Clarke.
There will be no Birtley ABC treble in London with young talent, Mark Dickinson, missing out in favour of Wales’ 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Sammy Lee, who has moved down a weight from light-heavy to 75 kilos.
The five women include the recently crowned world champion, Lauren Price, at middleweight. She is joined by fellow world championship medallist, Karriss Artingstall at featherweight and 2019 Euros bronze medallist, Rosie Eccles at welter.
Two recent additions to the GB Boxing squad complete the line-up with Caroline Dubois selected at lightweight and Charley Davison getting the nod at flyweight
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Andy Chubb/ GB Boxing
