British hopes of medals dealt a blow in draw by Kevin Taylor Aug 8th 2008

Britain's remaining seven Olympians have not had the best of luck in the draw held at the Asia Hotel in Beijing this morning. Super-heavyweight David Price has been matched with World number one Islam Timurziev from Russia, in his first bout on Wednesday. Bradley Saunders who won a bronze at the world championships last year, faces Samuel Kotey, of Ghana, in his first bout but will probably have to beat Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria, the European champion who won a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics, in the quarter-final to win a medal. Tony Jeffries received a bye in the first round but is then paired with Eleider Alvarez, the Pan-American champion from Colombia. Should he beat Alvarez, he would have to beat either a Venezuelan, or Imre Szello, a Hungarian that Jeffries beat at the European Union Championships in June, for a medal. Joe Murray will face a familiar opponent in Yu Gu of China. Murray beat the man from China on the way to a bronze medal at the world championships in Chicago. However, he is in the same quarter of the draw as Russian World champion Sergey Vodopyanov so would have to get past him to win a medal. Kalid Yafai, the flyweight, received a first-round bye, but will then have to beat opponents from Cuba and Russia to win a medal. Billy Joe Saunders faces Adem Kilicci in the 69kg division. The Turk won a bronze medal in the world championships, if Saunders gets through he'll then have to face a Cuban and then probably Non Boonjumnong, a Thai at rated No 2 in the world. James DeGale will be the first Brit in action, on Saturday afternoon against Mohamed Hikal, of Egypt, the reigning African champion and a former world championships medal winner.

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