By Tom Degun

nicola adams_14-10-111October 14 - Six fighters, including London 2012 gold medal favourite Nicola Adams (pictured right), have been selected to compete at the International Boxing Association (AIBA) 2011 Women's European Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands later this month.


The competition, which takes place from October 17 until 22, will act as a major stepping stone for the fighters ahead of London 2012 where women's boxing makes its Olympic debut in the three weights categories of flyweight (48-51kg), lightweight (57-60kg) and middleweight (69-75kg).

In Rotterdam, the three Olympic weight categories will be filled by World Championship silver medallists Adams and Savannah Marshall - who will compete at flyweight and middleweight respectively - with Chantelle Cameron to fight at lightweight.

The highly rated Natasha Jonas will compete at light welterweight (64kg), with Nina Smith fighting at bantamweight (54kg).

Lisa Whiteside is the final member of the team and will compete at featherweight (57kg) but is the only fighter in Rotterdam that is not currently part of the GB Boxing women's Olympic squad.

All six will compete in the England vest.

"This is the biggest tournament of the year for the women's squad and will provide a benchmark of how they are progressing in the build-up to 2012," said GB Boxing's performance director Rob McCracken.

"It is an opportunity to consolidate on the success we had at the 2010 World Championships and build on the progress we have made this year at training camps with Russia, China and Sweden.

"Selecting five boxers gives us an opportunity to assess the progress of most of the squad and provides the boxers with a chance to compete at the highest level in a top-class international tournament."

In 2011, the women's GB Boxing squad has won four medals in two international competitions in Poland and Bulgaria.

Natasha Jonas_14-10-11
In June this year, Adams and Jonas (pictured right) won gold at the EU Championships in Katowice, Poland, with the talented Adams triumphing 17-13 in her final against the double world champion Karolina Michalczuk on the Pole's home turf.

Cameron also came away with a medal from the prestigious tournament as she picked up a bronze, while the three medals at the EU Championship came shortly after Jonas won bronze at the prestigious Strandja Cup in Bulgaria in February.

The women's team will spend a week in a training camp in Cetniewo, Poland prior to the 2011 European Championships before heading to Rotterdam shortly before the start of the event on October 17.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
September 2011: UK Sport praises GB Boxing and predicts more medal success in 2012
June 2011: Alan Hubbard - The rise and rise of women in boxing
June 2011: GB boxers bag three medals at women's EU Championships
January 2011: London 2012 "just the start" for women's boxing claims AIBA
December 2010: Lesley Sackey - All eyes on the ladies as women's boxing makes its mark