(OCT 26) England’s Lisa
Whiteside, who boxes out of the Larches and Savick club in
Preston, is ‘determined to make the most of Nicola Adams' injury
and leave her mark at next month's Women’s World Boxing
Championship in South Korea’, she told the’ Lancashire Evening
Post’ this week.
As we reported on wban.com earlier this summer, reigning Olympic
champion, Nicola Adams suffered a significant shoulder injury
prior to the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and thus,
following surgery,
is unable to participate in this year’s World’s which commence
in Jeju in November (12th/25th).
It is some two years ago that Whiteside, from the Preston and
Savick club in Lancashire, took bronze from the 2012 World
Championships in China, but that was in the 57kg category, not
at 51kg.
Now two years later, Police officer, Whiteside is determined to
take this rare opportunity in the absence of Adams and attempt
to take Gold in South Korea.
She does however face serious competition from the current World
champion at 51kg, China’s Cancan Ren who will be keen to retain
her position as AIBA World No.1.
With the 2016 Olympic Games not far away, and the qualifying
events, still to come, Whiteside is keen to stake her claim to a
place in the England squad for Rio which she admits is an added
incentive
to gain a medal in South Korea.
“This is a massive opportunity to prove myself at 51kg and to
prove to people that I am not just here because Nicola is out
injured,” she told the ‘Lancashire Evening Post’.
"I’m always going to be second fiddle to Nicola at this stage
but I’ve got to prove myself to the point where they say there
needs to be a box-off to decide which of us goes to Rio.
"Nicola is Olympic champion and you can never take that away
from her. She performed amazingly but I am right there behind
her and I honestly believe if I can get the chance I can beat
Nicola and take that spot."
In South Korea, the favourite will undoubtedly be Cancan Ren who
recently regained the no.1 spot as a result of Adams injury but
there will be other possible serious challengers too in Jeju
among them possibly Jose Gabuco of the
Philippines, Marlen Esparza of the United States and another
London 2012 bronze medallist, the great MC Mary Kom of India,who
took Gold in the recent Asian Games in Incheon.
Another challenger may well be Ireland’s Michaela Walsh, deemed
unlucky by many, to have lost to Adams in the Commonwealth final
and who has also a victory to her credit over Whiteside. As in
all events much though will
depend on the draw in South Korea but if there is to be a
‘surprise medallist’ in Jeju it could well be the Belfast boxer.
In the 60kg Olympic lightweight class, Ireland’s Katie Taylor
will be seeking a record “fifth in a row” World crown (at 60kg)
and among her main challengers will be Russia’s Sofya Ochigava,
the silver medallist in London plus bronze medallists Mavzuna
Chorieva and
Brazilian Adriana Dos Santos Araujo with French titleholder
Estelle Mossely having an outside chance of a medal. She
recently defeated Ochigava 3:0 in the European Union
championships in Hungary, losing only in the final to Taylor.
It is not yet clear whether England will be represented by
Natasha Jonas or by Chantelle Cameron at 60kg in South Korea.
One is likely to fill that spot with the other taking part in
the non-Olympic 64kg category.
Irrespective of what happens in Jeju, Taylor – who has never won
an Irish title in the ring – will retain her World no. 1 status
for a record eighth year in a row.
In the 75kg Olympic class, England’s Savannah Marshall, who has
been out of the ring for a long spell after shoulder surgery,
made a welcome return to top form at the Commonwealth Games in
Glasgow and will be hoping to retain her title in South Korea.
The AIBA issued their October world rankings list in mid-
October, as hereunder:
(45-48 KG)
1st GNEVANOVA, Svetlana RUSSIA
2nd XU, Shiqi CHINA
3rd KYZAYBAY, Nazym KAZAKHSTAN
(51 KG)
1st REN, Cancan CHINA
2nd ADAMS, Nicola ENGLAND
3rd GABUCO, Josie PHILIPPINES
4th Esparza, Marlen, United States
5th Kom, MC Hmantge,India
(54 KG)
1st KULESHOVA, Aleksandra RUSSIA
2nd CRUZ, Christina USA
3rd SAVELYEVA, Elena RUSSIA
(57 KG)
1st BROWN, Tiara USA
2nd STANEVA, Svetlana BULGARIA
3rd KRUK, Sandra POLAND
(60 KG)
1st TAYLOR, Katie IRELAND
2nd OCHIGAVA, Sofya RUSSIA
3rd LUU, Thi Duyen VIETNAM
(64 KG)
1st JONAS, Natasha ENGLAND
2nd STELMACH, Magdalena POLAND
3rd MAYER, Mikaela USA
(69 KG)
1st BADULINA, Mariia UKRAINE
2nd VYSTROPOVA, Elena AZERBAIJAN
3rd MILLER, Raquel USA
(75 KG)
1st MARSHALL, Savannah Rose Dee ENGLAND
2nd NAGY, Timea HUNGARY
3rd LAURELL, Anna Rosalie Eleonora SWEDEN
(81 KG)
1st YUAN, Meiqing CHINA
2nd CREWS, Franchon USA
3rd KOSOVA, Svetlana RUSSIA
(81+ KG)
1st LI, Yunfei CHINA
2nd KUNGEIBAYEVA, Lazzat KAZAKHSTAN
3rd SINETSKAY, Irina RUSSIA
