frankie gavin out.

cowzerp

the best of the british fighters is out of the olympics due to not been able to make the light weight limit, i'm sick as i nearly beat him a couple of years ago and expected him to win the title, earning me some bragging rights! From a fans point of view it would of been good to watch him too..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/boxing/7546521.stm

walshb

That's inexcusable really isn't it. Couldn't make the weight? Someone has got to answer for this. All the time and effort and cost and the chap can't make the weight.

03mcgs0

That makes me sick to the stomach, the poor fella. He's the best lightweight out there by a distance and going home must be heart wrenching for him.

You train your entire amateur career for this moment and to be sent or going home when you are world amateur champion, must be a killer.

Poor Fella

walshb

I don't mean to sound harsh, but at such a late stage and knowing everything is so
so important and nothing is left to chance, why was he brought all that way for this. He knew and his crew knew, and if they didn't, they damn well should have known that this was bound to happen.

T-K-O

03mcgs0 wrote: »

That makes me sick to the stomach, the poor fella. He's the best lightweight out there by a distance and going home must be heart wrenching for him.

You train your entire amateur career for this moment and to be sent or going home when you are world amateur champion, must be a killer.

Poor Fella

wow that would be a nightmare all that hard work for nothing but the guy has to look at himself how did he let this happen ??

03mcgs0

walshb wrote: »

I don't mean to sound harsh, but at such a late stage and knowing everything is so
so important and nothing is left to chance, why was he brought all that way for this. He knew and his crew knew, and if they didn't, they damn well should have known that this was bound to happen.

Weight is a funny thing, the lad is 22 or something, he's starting to develop and grow, must be a late bloomer so to speak.

Because he's training like a pro now and on different weight training programmes for strength etc its sometimes hard not to put on weight.

But yes couldn't agree more, your top medal hope and this happens, what the hell were they all at.

walshb

I have no problem with the chap gaining weight and growing as this is
only natural, however, I do see a problem with the whole management of the issue. Why was he brought, why didn't they see this happening etc etc etc. It was reported that he has
been having trouble making weight. Surely before he went a decision should have been made that if any doubts arise, he cannot go. Why leave it to such a late stage?
I assume Gavin has been in Beijing for the past 7-10 days. What was happening in this period?

dbrady01

some serious questions have to be asked of the GB coaching team. The only thing i could think of is with the very high humidity over there that the intake of fluids have to go up a far bit to combat dehydration and the only way he could make weight is to completly dry himself out which is far to dangerous. What ever the reason i feel so sorry for him but the sceptic in me thinks that he might have gone as far as he could before going out to raise his profile before turning pro. The GB boxing team have been givin some amout of meadia coverage....just a thought

walshb

I just heard Des Cahill on RTE talking about Gavin. Apparently the GB team arrived
in Beijing on Tuesday of last week I think and Gavin stayed in the UK to try shed weight and then went to Beijing and was too much over the limit and went home. The actual official weigh in is Tomorrow

Check the link below. A lot is said about his trouble making weight

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7526215.stm

Dodge

Unforgivable by Gavin, his trainers and the GB boxing admin

numerocinco

I just find it really strange as these boxers would be weighed in every day so if there was a significant problem then it should have been noticed, at first I was thinking maybe we are being a bit harsh on Frankie Gavin as due to a more professional way of training he was putting on weight and he was young and it can happen but I do think there was something else going on in the back ground. Basically he should never have gone this far without the GB team not been properely able to fix the situation. He has a day off between fights so it was conceivable to cut weight and recover. IF the GB team really had wanted to do something about it they would have done it a few weeks ago. Right on that note I cannot wait for the boxing to begin, have a feeling its going to be good this year. Well I'm optimistic anyway.

Big Ears

numerocinco wrote: »

I just find it really strange as these boxers would be weighed in every day so if there was a significant problem then it should have been noticed, at first I was thinking maybe we are being a bit harsh on Frankie Gavin as due to a more professional way of training he was putting on weight and he was young and it can happen but I do think there was something else going on in the back ground. Basically he should never have gone this far without the GB team not been properely able to fix the situation. He has a day off between fights so it was conceivable to cut weight and recover. IF the GB team really had wanted to do something about it they would have done it a few weeks ago. Right on that note I cannot wait for the boxing to begin, have a feeling its going to be good this year. Well I'm optimistic anyway.

Team GB knew there was a problem, Gavin making weight has been a real scare for them for a while now. He walks around at 20 lbs over the limit and for a guy who is in shape the whole time and has to weigh in on the day for each and every fight it was just too much.

'He's the best lightweight out there by a distance', he's not though really. The guy is a Light-Welterweight who over half a year ago was able to get down and shed just enough weight to make Lightweight. Also he's never beaten the Cuban entry who I believe is favourite with some bookmakers and I wouldn't have discounted the Russian from getting revenge either.

With that said he is a fantastic fighter and this will be heartbreaking for him.
He may feel like the time since the World Championships training for this has been a waste of time. However I'm sure he's learned a lot in the elite training conditions he's been set under and if he turns pro now his profile is so much higher than November.

I think if the British team didn't have such a talented boxer at Light-Welterweight(Bradley Saunders) that Gavin would of competed in the last World Championships at Light-Welterweight.

I suspect he will turn pro now, although the ABA will do everything in their power to keep him amateur.

Hero Of College

walshb wrote: »

I don't mean to sound harsh, but at such a late stage and knowing everything is so
so important and nothing is left to chance, why was he brought all that way for this. He knew and his crew knew, and if they didn't, they damn well should have known that this was bound to happen.

Gavan needs his arse kicked. What is so hard about stepping on a bloody scale?? He should have known he was over. I'm disgusted WITH HIM, not FOR him.

Big Ears

Hero Of College wrote: »

Gavan needs his arse kicked. What is so hard about stepping on a bloody scale?? He should have known he was over. I'm disgusted WITH HIM, not FOR him.

He was on track to make weight with the help of Kerry Kayes.
The ABA decided against allowing Kerry Kayes coming to China to help.
Under ABA coach supervision Gavin was unable to make the weight as it had appeared like he would previously.

Obviously he did step on a scale to find out he was 3 lbs off the limit. Infact I bet the guy has been getting on and off a scale twice a day for the past couple of weeks.

walshb

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/boxing/7546521.stm

Good article

cowzerp

3lb?
thats nothing, i'd say he was down the max amount of weight and still 3lbs to heavy, bad form to be honest,, i doubt at 23 he has grown much in height, and if he gained muscle mass its down to poor nutritional guidance...muscle does not just appear because you lift weights, you have to be eating excess calories to gain muscle.

walshb

3 lb is absolute loads when as you alluded to, you are at your limit as regards being light. The hardest weight to lose is that last half lb of weight, when the body is completely dry. Gavin was obviously down as low as he could go and could not physically go lower without really being at RISK. The thing is, this should all have been dealt with prior to the games. Bad management and also blame has to be apportioned to Gavin himself

He didn't grow at all height wise and probably did not grow in height after age 17, which is the normal age human males stop growing vertically. There are obviously exceptions, but we can be almost completely certain that Gavin did NOT grow taller in the last year or two. However, that doesn't mean he didn't grow in other ways, as in physically etc etc. Many fighters aged 20-22-23 etc can be at a weight and then the body slowly starts to creep out of this weight due to age and maturity etc. Look at Khan, does anyone expect Khan to be 135 lbs in say 3-4 years? I don't expect it!

HJKoeber

Just out of curiosity, would there have been any chance of him moving up to light welter and trying to represent Ireland at the Olympics if he'd realized he wouldn't make weight before Joyce qualified?

cowzerp

only if he qaulified as an irish iaba fighter, he's half irish-im sure his mother is irish, he told me 1 of them was but am not 100%
so no is the answer

Big Ears

cowzerp wrote: »

only if he qaulified as an irish iaba fighter, he's half irish-im sure his mother is irish, he told me 1 of them was but am not 100%
so no is the answer

I think both of his parents are Irish, but I don't think he could have ever done it. He would of been every bit as much of a villain to the English as he is now after failing to make weight if he just switched country like that after winning at the World Championships.

Dodge

Big Ears wrote: »

I think both of his parents are Irish, but I don't think he could have ever done it. He would of been every bit as much of a villain to the English as he is now after failing to make weight if he just switched country like that after winning at the World Championships.

I'd imagine as part of his lottery funding (etc) he signed a contract to only compete for GB or refund the money

cowzerp

Big Ears wrote: »

I think both of his parents are Irish, but I don't think he could have ever done it. He would of been every bit as much of a villain to the English as he is now after failing to make weight if he just switched country like that after winning at the World Championships.

No, he told me personally that its on 1 side, he talked about the county he/she was from, maybe he was not aware that there both irish but i doubt that...

megadodge

I know you can never trust journalists fully, but it has been reported regularly that he has Irish parents.

sligobhoy67

megadodge wrote: »

I know you can never trust journalists fully, but it has been reported regularly that he has Irish parents.

I think Murray has an/a Irish parent parent/s

he is from the most Irish area of Manchester as well which could mean that thats true - havent read it anywhere reliable though - just word of mouth from a few guys here

Hero Of College

Big Ears wrote: »

I think both of his parents are Irish, but I don't think he could have ever done it. He would of been every bit as much of a villain to the English as he is now after failing to make weight if he just switched country like that after winning at the World Championships.

The guys name hasn't been mentioned at all in the British media since this story broke. Its a disgrace. They think we will all forget about it if they don't speak about it.

megadodge

Eh no, it's simply old news at this stage.

There's no bigger sports event on the planet, where there's a constant stream of information coming on board.

Why waste time talking of something that happened 1-2 weeks ago ?

cowzerp

megadodge wrote: »

Eh no, it's simply old news at this stage.

There's no bigger sports event on the planet, where there's a constant stream of information coming on board.

Why waste time talking of something that happened 1-2 weeks ago ?

Exactly, he's gone and it does not matter now, the fighters who are there fighting should be talked about, when its all over then he will be talked about again.

Hero Of College

megadodge wrote: »

Eh no, it's simply old news at this stage.

There's no bigger sports event on the planet, where there's a constant stream of information coming on board.

Why waste time talking of something that happened 1-2 weeks ago ?

I went onto the news the day it broke....nothing. Its like the said it once then pissed off.

cowzerp

it was all over sky sports news for days after!

Hero Of College

cowzerp wrote: »

it was all over sky sports news for days after!

Ahhh well.....there you go. I only have Setanta Sports. Then again, what with them being the "Home of Boxing", I thought they might discuss it more. Apparently not!!!