McCracken targeting record medal haul

Great Britain performance director Rob McCracken is convinced his 10-strong London 2012 Olympic boxing team can achieve a medal haul to rank alongside the best in history.

The team for 2012 - confirmed in Sheffield on Monday by Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt - includes seven world medallists including one reigning world champion and two current European champions.

McCracken said: "This is as strong a team as you could wish to have heading into a home Games. It is the perfect blend of youth and experience and it has got everything going for it."

He went on: "The boxers have consistently won medals at major tournaments and reached every target we have given them. There is no reason why we cannot go to a tough London Olympics and win a lot of medals."

Three British fighters won medals in Beijing four years ago while the best total at a modern Games remains the five secured in 1956 in Melbourne when both Terry Spinks and Dick McTaggart struck gold.

McCracken replaced his successful predecessor Terry Edwards as GB coaching chief in the wake of the Beijing success and oversaw a complete revamp of the programme including a radical restructuring of support staff.

McCracken added: "The staff have really flourished since they have been given the opportunity to get on with their jobs. It is testament to all their hard work that we are where we are heading into the Games.

"It is also exciting to have the women involved for the first time and to send three of them to the world championships and have all three return with medals and Olympic places is nothing short of phenomenal.

"There will have been at least two or three who saw Savannah (Marshall) win her world title and thought, 'that should have been me.' Now they have got the opportunity to make it happen on the biggest stage."

The full Great Britain boxing team compromises Andrew Selby, Luke Campbell, Josh Taylor, Thomas Stalker, Fred Evans, Anthony Ogogo, Anthony Joshua, Nicola Adams, Natasha Jonas and world champion Marshall.