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Great Britain’s boxing team are on the brink of their first Olympic wipeout since 1996 after a narrow defeat for middleweight Chantelle Reid in Paris on Wednesday.
The Derby 26-year-old’s split decision defeat to Morocco’s Khadija Mardi means all five of the British boxers to compete at the Games so far have been beaten in their opening bout.
And it means Lewis Richardson must beat Serbia’s Vakhid Abbasov in his opening 71kg showdown later on Wednesday in order to avoid the ignominy of the squad returning home without a win to their name.
Like team-mates Rosie Eccles and Delicious Orie, Reid also found herself on the end of a contentious verdict against a vastly experienced opponent who is the current IBA world heavyweight champion.
Reid boxed superbly from the centre of the ring to take the opening round all five judges’ cards before Mardi fought back to effectively level going into the last.
It was always going to be a tall order for Reid to come out on top in a final three-minute showdown but she arguably landed the cleaner work through her taller opponent’s guard and could count herself unfortunate to drop the verdict.
Nevertheless it was a performance to be proud of by Reid, a former celebrated junior who only returned to the sport in April last year after six years out due to degenerative disc disease.
Reid cut a philosophical figure in the mixed zone, refusing to blame bad luck for a series of decisions that privately GB chiefs believe ought not to have gone against them.
“I definitely won the first round but then she changed her tactics and made it a bit harder. I tried to stick to my plan but unfortunately she got the decision,” said Reid.
“I feel so blessed just to have qualified and boxed the rest in the world. Whatever happens now I am an Olympian. It’s something that cannot be taken off me and it’ll stick with me for the rest of my life.
“I feel so blessed to have been part of this team, just to be here with the best team and support staff. We have all been sticking together and supporting each other.”
Great Britain sent two boxers to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 – David Burke and Fola Okesola – and both were beaten in their opening bouts.
