Anthony Ogogo one step closer to Olympic Games
Anthony Ogogo is just one win away from guaranteeing his place at this summer's Olympics in London, after a gruelling points win in Turkey last night.
The 23-year-old from Lowestoft defeated Georgian Jaba Khositashvili on countback after the pair drew 14-14.
Ogogo trailed his opponent 4-3 after the first round but the Triple A boxer endured a nightmare second round, which saw him fall six points behind his opponent.
Ogogo called upon all his reserves of courage to haul in Khositashvili in the final round to pull it level at the bell and he was awarded the victory on countback.
He now faces Belarus' Vitali Bandarenka in the semi-finals on Friday, knowing a win would seal his Olympic place.
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The Eastern European boxer saw off the challenge of Estonia's Kaupo Arro, 16-9.
Bandarenka beat Frenchman Rashid Hamani, who sparred with Ogogo recently, in his first bout and stands in the way of the Englishman and a place in the final and the Games.
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Ogogo beat Macedonian Fatlum Zuta 18-5 in his first contest in the last 16 of the middleweight category.
Ogogo's coach, John Cremin, said: 'What a tough bout. He was 12-6 down going into last round but pulled it back to win on count back. The Georgian was as tough as anything, proper hard as nails, so Anthony did fantastically. To pull it back from 12-6 down was amazing.
'I'm over the moon for him and he's in the semi-final now. It will be another tough bout with the Belarussian.'
Josh Taylor will become the first Scottish lightweight to represent Great Britain at a Games since the great Dick McTaggart, who claimed gold in Melbourne in 1956 and bronze four years later in Rome, after booking his place by beating Armenia's Vladimir Sarukhanyan 17-9 yesterday.
