GO FRAZER
AJ’s pal Clarke shines in the ring and roars: Some people want money, some want fame, I just want to be an Olympic hero
FRAZER CLARKE vowed to join pal Anthony Joshua in British boxing’s hall of fame after guaranteeing himself a medal.
The super-heavyweight was too good for Australia’s Toese Vou Siutu as England’s boxers set about lifting team morale.
“AJ expects me to return with a gold medal – and so do I,” Clarke said after his unanimous points win.
“I’m not facing many Anthony Joshuas here.”
Four years on from topping the medal table in Glasgow, England lie a distant second to hosts Australia with fewer than half as many golds.
Their Olympic champions have fallen short of expectation but the malaise extends well beyond Alistair Brownlee, Max Whitlock and Adam Peaty.
Yesterday the women’s beach volleyball team lost to Vanuatu, population 270,000.
World sprint hurdle champion Andy Pozzi hit the first obstacle and trailed in sixth; Olympic hammer medallist Sophie Hitchon failed to register a score.
Most embarrassingly of all, Team England flew cyclist Melissa Lowther 10,000 miles to ride for a time trial medal
only to forget to enter her in the race.
Against that backdrop England’s boxers went to work and all but one made sure of a medal. Their four remaining quarter-finalists box today.
Clarke, who sparred more than 50 rounds with Joshua to get him ready for the Joseph Parker fight, booked himself a semi-final on Friday against New Zealand’s Patrick Mailata.
“No disrespect to the Commonwealth Games, but we have prepared to be world champions,” said the Burton boxer.
“This is just one step on that ladder, so we expect to come here and win a lot of gold medals.
“Some people want money, some want fame. I want a picture on the wall in the GB boxing gym with the rest of the Olympians.
“I look up there and see Audley Harrison, David Price, Joseph Joyce, Anthony Joshua. They’re our great heavyweights and I want to join that list.
“My objective is to be on that wall with a gold medal come Tokyo. For now though the job is here on the Gold Coast. I’ll take the next fight very seriously.”
Swimmer Ben Proud was another to impress as he bounced back from his false start disqualification in the 50m butterfly to retain his 50m freestyle title.
“As soon as I hit the water I knew I was safe,” he said. “So I didn’t hold back.”