Olympics: Josh Taylor’s Olympic boxing berth

SCOTLAND’S Josh Taylor was confirmed in the GB boxing team for the London Olympics, and the ten-strong Games team is being hailed as one of the best British line-ups. Taylor joins men’s team-mates Anthony Joshua, Andrew Selby, Luke Campbell, Thomas Stalker, Fred Evans, Anthony Ogogo, and women’s trio Nicola Adams, Natasha Jonas and Savannah Marshall in the team.

The Prestonpans fighter – trained by Terry McCormack at Lochend Aamteur Boxing Club – booked his place in April when he came through European qualifiers in Trabzon, Turkey, and becomes the first Scottish lightweight box at the Olympics since Dick McTaggart, who won gold medal at the 1956 Games in Melbourne and bronze four years later in Rome.

Finchley super-heavyweight Joshua, meanwhile, believes the team can be Britain’s best and help bring the good times back to his increasingly beleaguered sport. Joshua said: “I think we can all go to the Games and achieve something great and bring boxing back up to where it used to be. We’ve had enough of bad decisions and fights outside the ring and all that stuff. I’m glad to be in this position but at the same time I’m not trying to be flash or cocky. I’m just trying to help put boxing back in a good place, and I think I’m part of a team that can do it.”

And Joshua believes they can rise to the challenge of eclipsing the three-medal haul from Beijing and possibly match the five medals – including two golds – brought back from the 1956 Melbourne Games. Joshua added: “Five medals is a tough ask but I think we’ve got the talent in this team to match it or even beat it.”