Team GB boxing 'unisex' for Olympics

Dudley's Olympic coach Bob Dillon believes Team GB's 'unisex' approach to boxing could make the difference when a 'perfect 10' of fighters arrive at London 2012.

With women boxing at the Games for the first time, three are on the biggest-ever Team GB squad, with one the best hope of a gold medal.

Savannah Marshall has been tagged 'the female Frankie Gavin' after becoming Britain's first-ever women's world amateur champion last month.

The middleweight from Hartlepool is joined by Liverpudlian lightweight Natasha Jonas and Leeds flyweight Nicola Adams as the trio make history.

Full-time 'podium' coach Dillon - also a trainer at Lions ABC in Dudley - works with them daily at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

There's not a female voice in the gym and they could be forgiven for feeling out of place but Dillon insists the men have made sure that's not the case.

He said: "As with any new Olympic sport, the talent is coming through and developing so the standard has gone up.

"They are improving all of the time because we are not treating them like ladies, we are treating them like boxers.

"When they come in, they train with the men and we prepare them in the same way, that's what they deserve from us.

"They do their runs, strength and conditioning work alongside the men and are treated like any other full-time athlete.

"Throughout this whole process, there's been no stone unturned. That attitude of elite training floats through the camp."

Anthony Joshua, Anthony Ogogo, Luke Campbell, Tom Stalker, Andrew Selby, Fred Evans and Josh Taylor complete Team GB.

All are decorated but unheralded with the exception of super heavyweight Anthony Joshua, rated as 'the new Audley Harrison.'

Harrison himself has backed the Londoner, just 21, and he knows what it takes, having took gold in the weight class at the 2000 Games.

Including the girls, there's one world champion, three European title holders and four world championship finalists in the squad.

But Dillon reveals the "no superstars" ethos in the gym has made the fighters believe they all have a chance of landing a medal.

He said: "They have all got, equally, as good a chance as each other and whoever performs could win a medal.

"It's silly talk to have favourites because this is the Olympics, the biggest show on earth, with that pressure.

"Peaking in fitness is one thing but peaking mentally, so you believe in yourself, is another.

"All we need is the right break at the right time. Not luck, but good timing and that's the secret."

Dillon is part of a six-strong coaching team led by performance director Robert McCracken, from Birmingham.

McCracken replaced Kevin Hickey in 2009 with Dillon already on the staff, having worked at the last Games.

Lee Pullen, Dave Alloway, Nigel Davies and Paul Walmsley - also the head of Team GB's development squad - are fellow 'podium' coaches.

And Dillon believes the fighters are in the best possible hands, which are all to the pump as they get ready for London.

He said: "I have never worked with such great coaches and the beauty is that we are all so professional.

"We do things properly and we all lean on each other, so it's been done to absolute perfection.

"Because we all work with and bounce off each other, we all come up with different things.

"When we come in, we know what each fighters needs and a coach works with them on that.

"We have one-to-one's for everything - boxing on the back-foot, foot-work, defence, attack and counter."

Dillon reckons that "belief" is the difference to the current squad over their 2008 counterparts, who did land one gold medal.

Birmingham's Gavin was their leading light but infamously never even boxed at the Beijing Games, having failed to make the weight.

In the end, it was James DeGale who struck gold and an eventual MBE, while David Price and Tony Jeffries both won bronze medals.

Dillon was a long way from the Black Country working with each fighter in China and reckons the mood is much more upbeat.

He said: "When we are at the Olympics last time out, people just didn't believe. This time, we honestly believe we can achieve anything.

"The one that was the favourite last time was Frankie Gavin, he was the world champion, but he grew too soon with his training.

"The coaching staff all thought David Price would do it but no-one else did and Tony Jeffries and James DeGale were also unfancied.

"In the end, those three took the medals for us but we thought that one of them could go all the way, given the right run.

"DeGale timed his to perfection."

It's a completely new-look squad that will step into the ring in London and they have two extra fighters on the eight that went to Beijing.

Of that team, DeGale, Price, Jeffries, Gavin, Billy Joe Saunders and Joe Murray all turned pro after and sent Team GB back to the drawing board.

After noting Walmsley's progress with the development squad first-hand, Dillon is confident that won't happen after these Games.

He said: "After the last Olympics, we were left with a bare cupboard, they all turned pro and went where the grass is greener!

"When this one is over, we will be off again talent searching, because we know what happens when you rest on your laurels.

"We have a development squad now and it's turning people out, people are fighting like hell to get onto both squads.

"Paul has been in charge of the development squad and is doing a fantastic job, you will see that."

By Craig Birch