Jeffries boost for Brits

Sunderland light-heavyweight Tony Jeffries scored a surprise win at the World Amateur Championships in Chicago on Sunday.

Follow the action in Chicago from Wednesday; SS3 8pm

Sunderland light-heavyweight Tony Jeffries moved to within one win of securing his place at the Olympics at the World Amateur Championships on Sunday. Jeffries overcame a partizan crowd in Chicago to record an 18-9 victory over American team captain Chris Downs to complete an excellent first week for the home nations. He now faces another tough test in the shape of Belorussian Ramazan Magomedov if he is to earn automatic qualification for Beijing. An earlier win for Commonwealth Games gold medallist Frankie Gavin ensured five English boxers remain in the competition along with five Irishmen and one Scotsman. Gavin demonstrated his world class skills by out-boxing Kazakh Merey Akshalov 20-9, and will now take on fellow southpaw Ramal Amanov of Azerbaijan for a place in the semi-finals. The top eight boxers from different countries in each weight category will qualify for the Olympics in 2008, except heavyweight and super-heavy in which the first four will qualify.