Welshman assured at least silver in welterweight class

FREDDIE E VA N S assured himself of at least a silver medal in the boxing last night with a stylish and gutsy performance to beat the world champion Taras Shelestyuk by a single point.

He will now fight for the welterweight gold medal tomorrow afternoon against the impressive Serik Sapiyev, the number two seed from Kazakhstan.

“It’s always been my dream to get to the Olympics,” said Evans. “Now I’m here in the final and I can’t believe it.

“I had a game plan and I had a point to prove. I stuck to the game plan and I knew I had to be on top form and couldn’t switch off.

“As soon as the bell goes and you hear the crowd it gives you a lift. The support is unbelievable.”

Evans was indeed given a hero’s welcome as he stepped into the ring at the EXceL Arena. The crowd shouted his name incessantly throughout the fight.

His Ukrainian opponent was the number one seed. He hadn’t been at his best during the tournament but was still very dangerous.

But Evans is the European champion himself and he certainly wasn’t scared of his fellow southpaw. He caught him with several crisp punches in the first round, while avoiding anything that came his way to lead 4-1 at the end of a very promising first round.

Evans was light on his feet, moving well around the ring and tempting Shelestyuk to come on to him. He did get caught with the odd shot but he was also forcing his opponent to miss.

He was 8-5 up at the end of the second and then caught Sheletyuk with a solid right hook at the start of the third. But the Ukrainian was catching his man more often now as Evans tired a little.

TheWelshman has had some tough fights already, especially in the quarterfinal, and that was starting to catch up with him in the last round of the fight as Sheletyuk desperately tried to force his way back into the fight.

At the final bell it was clearly close but Evans deservedly took it 11-10.