Terry Edwards profiles Team GB's Olympic Boxers by Ian McNeilly Aug 8th 2008

Team GB's Head Coach, Terry Edwards, profiles all the British boxers hoping for Olympic glory this summer. Khalid Yafai, 51kg, Flyweight Second youngest in the team, this time last year he was in our Development Squad because he'd been identified for 2012 (London Olympics). He was then accelerated into our Podium Programme and given the opportunity to go for a qualifier. He qualified. He's still young and he's got a long way to go but he's got quick hands, a quick mind and he's a quick learner. He's a toughie so he's right there. Joe Murray, 54kg, Bantamweight Again he's come from the system. After the 2006 Commonwealth Games – Joe didn't go, Nick McDonald went and then turned pro – I then gave him the opportunity to go to the Europeans just for experience and he beat some top kids there, finished in the top eight in Europe and since then he's come on and on and on. And he's the bronze medallist from the World Championships and he's come on even further since then. Bradley Saunders, 64kg, Light-welterweight Bradley Saunders is a winner. Whatever it takes, he's a tough guy. He can box, he can fight, whatever is necessary. He's just come back from Taipei where he stopped the reigning Olympic champion from Thailand (Manus Boomjumnong) in the third round. He's a tough guy that has come on leaps and bounds. Billy Joe Saunders, 69kg, Welterweight The youngest member of the team but very mature for his age. He's a tough guy and a box-fighter who can do a bit of each. He is young but hopefully we can manage the pressure for him. It's a tough weight is 69 but he's got a wonderful opportunity. James DeGale, 75kg, Middleweight If you're a connoisseur of boxing you will love Chunky. Stylish, very individual and awkward. If he keeps his right head on, he's a class act. Tony Jeffries, 81kg, Light-heavyweight Jaffa is a strong boy from a strong area in Sunderland. He's had one or two little injuries but hopefully his confidence is riding high right now. He's come back from the European Championships winning the silver medal there but unfortunately in the final he had to withdraw with a cut eye when he was doing well. He can hit and when you can hit you've always got every chance. David Price, 91kg+, Super-heavyweight (Team Captain) The big fella. He's probably one of the biggest in the super-heavyweights in the Olympics. Can hit with both hands and is very, very mobile for a big fella, has got good movement about him. Over the last two seasons he's gained a lot of strength and power. The reigning Commonwealth and European Union champion. Conclusion We've done everything we can to get them in the right frame of mind. Their confidence is high. What you need in any competition, obviously, is a little bit of luck – and you make your own luck at times – it's an unseeded draw in boxing so maybe you need to avoid some of the big ones in the first bout or two, if you can manage to steer your way through that then all's well. If our boxers box to their full potential and get a decent draw we could come back with quite a few medals.

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