James DeGale

James Frederick DeGale (born February 3, 1986) is a English boxer and Olympic gold medalist. He was born in Hammersmith, London. The southpaw Londoner fights as a switchhitter. At the Commonwealth Games 2006 he won Bronze when he lost to Jarrod Fletcher.At the first qualifier he edged out Darren Sutherland 23-22 and qualified.

DeGale represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Middleweight boxing event, winning the gold medal. In the quarter finals he beat a former Olympic gold medalist from Athens (Bakhtiyar Artayev) and in the semi-final once again beat the Irishman Darren Sutherland(prior to this latest meeting the boxers had fought five times with Sutherland winning four and Degale only one). In the final Degale won a scrappy and bad tempered affair against the Cuban Emilio Correa who was deducted two points in the first round for biting Degales shoulder. Currently DeGale is mulling over a reported £1m contract to turn professional, or to stay an amateur to defend his title in London 2012. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/boxing/7578566.stm] BBC | Superb Degale lands boxing gold]

World amateur championships results

2007 (as a middleweight)
*Lost to Alfonso Blanco (Venezuela) 13-28

Olympic results

2008
*Defeated Mohamed Hikal (Egypt) 13-4
*Defeated Shawn Estrada (USA) 11-5
*Defeated Bakhtiyar Artayev (Kazakhstan) 8-3
*Defeated Darren Sutherland (Ireland) 10-3
*Defeated Emilio Correa (Cuba) 16-14

References

External links

* [http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Participants/Participants?ID=103969 Bio]
* [http://www.amateur-boxing.strefa.pl/Championships/EuroOlyQual2008_1.html First Qualifier]
* [http://www.findmypast.com Births England and Wales 1984-2006]
* [http://www.jamesdegale.net jamesdegale.net]