Britain’s Savannah Marshall took a major step towards qualifying for London 2012 with a superb victory in round two of the World Championships yesterday.
The Hartlepool middleweight (75kg) defeated highly-rated US boxer Claressa Shields 14-8 in Qinhuangdao, China and told BBC Sport afterwards, “She beat the 81kg world champion, so she’s the toughest person I’ve fought.”
Lightweight Natasha Jonas earlier reached the last 16, while flyweight Nicola Adams is into the last 32.
Each of them must finish as one of the top three Europeans in their weight class to qualify for London 2012.
Marshall, 20, will be confident of doing so after eliminating Shields, the 17-year-old sensation of women’s boxing.
Liverpudlian Jonas, 27, beat Switzerland’s Sandra Brugger 23-11 and told BBC Sport, “It was good. It’s always nice to get out and just do the best you can.
“It’s everything I’ve been working for since 2009 so basically I’ve just got to keep going.
“I’ve only reached the last 16 so there’s a lot more stages I’ve got to go, but obviously it’s the carrot dangling in front of me that I’m aiming for.
“It’s nice to sometimes think ahead but I have to keep focused on now.”
Lizzie Flint, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
