Time to forget the Olympics, says Frankie Gavin

Sep 19 2008 By Ian Johnson

FRANKIE Gavin has spoken out for the first time about the gut-wrenching disappointment of going to the Beijing Olympic Games but being sent home without throwing a punch.

The brilliant Brummie lightweight (60k) was unable to make the weight and his gold medal dream was shattered when he was put on a plane home.

But he is not laying the blame at anyone’s door.

The 22-year-old world champion told me: “I thought the weight was going to come off but the last three or four pounds were not moving at all.

“In the end I did a really big session and lost a quarter of a pound. I knew it wasn’t going to come.

“This year I’ve been walking around three or four kilos heavier than I was last year.

“There was nothing I could do – maybe if I chopped off my leg or something – but there was nothing on me at all.

“There’s no-one to blame, it’s just what happens in life.

“All I want now is to forget what happened. It’s gone. It’s in the past. I now need to look after my future.

“On Monday I am meeting up with Team GB to find out what they have to offer for me to stay amateur and go on to the London Olympics.

‘‘I will keep an open mind but at the same time I will be talking to the professional promoters such as Frank Warren and Oscar de le Hoya.

“At the moment I feel that my best move will be to turn professional but they are not going to get me on the cheap just because I didn’t win the Olympic gold.

“I will remind them that I won the world championship gold and on the way to that beat the two Beijing finalists. The Silver medallist was well thrashed but the Russian was a tougher proposition in the final but I still beat him.’’

If Gavin “turns over” he will do so with the blessing of his coach Tom Chaney, who will stay with his amateur club Hall Green.

Chaney has not been so understanding of the way his charge was treated by the amateur hierarchy.

He has accused the management team, headed by Terry Edwards, of failing to keep their promises and severely letting Gavin down.

“What many people do not know, but Team GB did, was that for the last few months Frankie has been killing himself in training just to keep his weight down,’’ said Chaney.

“As part of the team’s preparation they meet up every week in Sheffield and train from Monday to Thursday before returning to their home gyms.

“I have seen Frankie come back to Birmingham with cracks in his tongue and chaffed lips suffering also from spots in front of his eyes and headaches – the result of keeping his weight down.

“Frankie was worried about the weight problem.

“He was told quite categorically not to worry and that they would ensure that they got the weight off him.

“They promised to look after him and they didn’t.”