English boxer Peter McGrail took a superb bronze medal at the Amateur Boxing World Championship in Hamburg, adding to his European gold from earlier this summer.
The 21-year-old lost his semi-final to Kairat Yeraliyev of Kazakhstan by a unanimous points decision, after the 2013 World Championship bronze medallist threw more punches and convinced the judges to hand him the fight.
But McGrail still secures a bronze medal, continuing his golden 2017.
The Liverpudlian was superb throughout the tournament though, and insists it is all part of his development as he continues to push for the Tokyo Olympics.
“I am disappointed not to win but to go home with a medal from my first world championships is a good performance,” he said. “It has been a great few months for me becoming European champion [in June] and then winning a medal at the worlds.
“It always hurts to lose, but I am sure when I look back in a few days, I will be happy with what I have achieved this year and know that I can look forward to the future feeling very positive and confident.”
McGrail’s bronze was the only medal won by the GB Boxing contingent in Hamburg, a team in which eight of the 10 team members were making their World Championship debut.
Three boxers – Pat McCormack, Ben Whittaker and Cheavon Clarke – reached the quarter-finals, with welterweight McCormack and middleweight Whittaker finding themselves on the wrong side of split-decisions.
Rob McCracken, GB Boxing performance director, said: “This is still a very inexperienced group and we always knew the World Championships would be tough, so it has been a good learning experience for the boxers and they will all be the better for it.
“To come here with a new team, win a medal and have four boxers in the quarter-finals is a good performance at this stage in the cycle and it is clear that this group is developing well as we build towards Tokyo.
“Peter McGrail is a terrific talent who has boxed superbly throughout this tournament and thoroughly deserves his medal.
“He has had a great year, winning the European Championship and getting a bronze in the World Championships, and ought to be extremely proud of what he has achieved in the last five months.”
Sportsbeat 2017