Britain’s first female world boxing champ is going for gold

Jackie Gregory
WVoN co-editor

Boxer Savannah Marshall has punched her way to victory to become Britain’s first female world boxing champion.

She marked st birthday with a 17 – 15 victory over Azerbaijan’s Elena Vystropova in China on Saturday.

The middleweight from Hartlepool had suffered a blooded nose in the third round but managed to battle on, reported Sky Sports. She is now one of the favourites to win gold at London’s Olympic Games.

Marshall told the Daily Mail after the match: “It’s been an amazing week and to come away as world champion and with a place at the Olympics is pretty incredible.”

Performance director Rob McCracken added that Marshall had the potential to stay at the top of her game for years to come.

The Women’s World Boxing Championships took place in Qinhuangdao, a seaside town about three hours drive from Beijing.

Other firsts were also scored when Chinese boxer Ren Cancan became the first female from China to qualify for the Olympics after beating the American Marlen Esparza.

Afghan women also took part in the championships and although they were knocked out in the early rounds, it was significant that they took part.  Women are not allowed to box in front of men in Aghanistan reports The Huffington Post.

Female boxing is making its debut at this year’s Olympics and has already courted controversy when in January it was announced that the sportswomen would have to wear skirts not shorts.

As reported by WVoN, a petition was set up in protest. It has now been decided that the boxers can choose to wear either shorts or skirts.

But as the International Herald Tribune reports, the issue of women’s sportswear is still a contentious one at the Olympics.

Didi Kirsten Tatlow writes: “And if the skirts-versus-shorts question sounds frivolous, even offensive, the topic of women’s gear in sports is real, with several major sporting bodies – notably in soccer and badminton – having publicly urged women to wear tighter shorts or skirts, on the grounds that it would make the sports more appealing.”

Katie Taylor of Ireland who retained her fourth World Championship title in the lightweight section in Qinhuangdao, who is also on her way to the Olympics, told BBC Sport in January:

“I won’t be wearing a mini-skirt. I don’t even wear mini-skirts on a night out, so I definitely won’t be wearing one in the ring.”