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Nice Britain’s Ben Whittaker will compete for Olympic gold after “a masterclass” win over Imam Khataev noticed him into the 81kg last at Tokyo 2020.
The 24-year-old misplaced the primary spherical of his semi-final however boxed stylishly to beat the Russian by a cut up resolution.
And moments after Whittaker’s success, super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke ensured he’ll win at the very least a bronze medal.
Briton Clarke reached the semi-finals when Mourad Aliev was disqualified for repeated use of the pinnacle.
In a controversial +91kg bout, Clarke misplaced the opening spherical and as spherical two neared its conclusion, he was lower over each eyes after head clashes.
Aliev had been warned about using his head however upon being disqualified with seconds of the spherical remaining, the Frenchman kicked out on the ground and remonstrated with each Clarke and the officers in protest.
The 26-year-old later sat on the ring apron and refused to depart the sector for round half-hour.
Clarke, who will now face Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan, performed down considerations over his cuts going into his subsequent bout, saying: “I am an Olympic medallist. These are little cuts. That is my job and what I do. I am a tricky man, a proud man. It’ll take greater than a bit of lower to cease me.”
However BBC Radio 5 Reside analyst Steve Bunce stated: “Clarke has two gashes. Each would rule him out of any skilled combat, irrespective of the place you might be. They have to do some critical work behind the scenes.”
A lot has been fabricated from Clarke as a talismanic determine within the GB Boxing set-up, given the last decade he has spent in and across the group.
The captain of the boxing group assembled in Tokyo entered the ring moments after Whittaker had danced away from the power-punching of the Russian Olympic Committee’s Khataev to land the largest win of his profession and a spot within the light-heavyweight gold-medal match.
“I’ve had a lot social media saying ‘the Russian lad will knock you out’,” Whittaker informed BBC Sport.
“No one was beating me as we speak and we do not cease right here.
“I feel I placed on a masterclass and on to the subsequent one.”
Arlen Lopez of Cuba or Loren Berto Alfonso Dominguez of Azerbaijan await Whittaker within the last on Wednesday, 4 August.
Wins for Whittaker and Clarke comply with on from Nice Britain’s current success in Tokyo, with Pat McCormack also set for an Olympic final, whereas Karriss Artingstall has secured bronze, and numerous different athletes stay in with an opportunity of a medal of their respective weight classes.
Nice Britain are subsequently assured to go their haul of three boxing medals – gained by Joe Joyce, Joshua Buatsi and Nicola Adams – from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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