England women claim three gold medals at EU Boxing Championship in Bulgaria
Last updated 01/07/2009 10:38:52
Savannah Marshall at the EU Boxing Championship in Bulgaria
England's women's boxing team claimed three gold medals at the European Union Championships in Pazardjik, Bulgaria to give the sport a massive boost as they seek inclusion in the London 2012 Olympics.
Savannah Marshall, Natasha Jonas and Sharon Holford were all victors, while the five-strong team – backed up by bronze medals for Hannah Behanny and Lucy O'Connor - also claimed the team of the tournament award.
The medals follow hard on the heels of Nicola Adams silver medal at the World Championships last year.
The sport will discover in August if it is to be included in the London 2012 programme when the International Olympic Committee's ruling Executive Board discusses a proposal for it to be added.
Marshall, from Hartlepool, in her first senior international competition, saw off stocky Spaniard Tamara Garcia with a devastating performance, forcing her opponent to take a standing count in round three on the way to a 15points to two success.
Stylish Jonas was also a class above Hungarian Csilla Csejtei at light-welterweight, moving smoothly into a 5-0 lead after the first round and easing home for a shut-out 9-0 victory.
At 51kg Holford came through a mighty battle with Poland's Katarzyna Czuba, battling back from a 3-1 deficit at the halfway stage to level the fight going into the final round and taking the gold 5-4 in a grandstand finish.
Martin Webb, England's team manager, said: "I always believed this team was capable of great things but to come back with three gold medals and the types of performances we have seen stands us in great stead for the future.
"The girls are improving all the time. In Savannah we have an 18-year-old kid for whom the sky really is the limit, Natasha just proved a cut above the rest and Sharon came through with a really gutsy series of performances."
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