BEIJING, Aug 7: World lightweight champion boxer Frankie Gavin of Britain, a hot favourite for the under-60kg gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, will miss the Games after failing to make the weight.

Terry Edwards, head coach of the British boxing team, said here on Thursday: “It is the nature of our sport that we try and get our boxers to the top of their weight and it has been well documented that Frankie has struggled with this over the recent months.

“Whilst the support staff down in Macau and I have done everything we could, regrettably it is clear that Frankie will not make his weight before tomorrow (Friday) morning’s weigh-in.

“Frankie has been working his whole boxing career towards the Olympic Games and he is obviously completely devastated.”

Gavin’s absence will hit Britain’s chances of boxing silverware hard, the Englishman having been heavily favoured to make the final of a weight in which his main rival is Russian Aleksei Tishchenko, the boxer he beat in the world semi-finals last year.—AFP