British Olympic boxing coach Terry Edwards has withdrawn gold medal hope Frankie Gavin from the Games after the world amateur lightweight champion failed to make the 60 kg weight threshold for his class.

Gavin quit the team’s training camp in Macau on Thursday 7th where he had been fighting to lose a final 3lbs to make the weigh-in. Edwards said he had made the decision to rule Gavin out because the 22 year old he was suffering from severe dehydration. He added that it was the hardest decision he had ever made.

“I took the responsibility of withdrawing him simply because I didn’t want Frankie to suffer any ill-effects to his health” said Edwards. “Frankie is a young lad. He’s 22. He’s been boxing at the same weight for four years and sometimes lads have to move up a weight, it’s as simple as that.”

Frankie Gavin took the world amateur lightweight championship in Chicago last November.

Less than a month ago Edwards claimed that Great Britain had the potential to become the “new Cuba” in the Olympic boxing competition.

(China.org.cn by John Sexton August 8, 2008)