ELISE Glynn hopes her hard work will end with a medal at the upcoming European Games as the Solihull fighter attempts to achieve Olympic qualification.
Glynn, who trains at Acocks Green Boxing Gym, is part of a 13-strong GB boxing squad selected to compete at the European Games in Krakow, Poland.
The featherweight fighter was only a reserve for Team England at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and hopes to showcase her talent this time around at her second major tournament appearance.
Glynn said: “I’ve put a lot of hard work in, I need to get a bronze medal to qualify for the Olympics. I’d love to get a gold medal this year just like in 2017 [at the European Junior Boxing Championships].
“Qualification would be amazing. I couldn’t do it without Team GB and my dad who is my coach and my biggest supporter.
“I’ve surprised a lot of people, a lot of people have been on the programme for four years and have been to the Olympics before and done the qualification event.
“I’m new to the programme, I came on last year, I was a reserve for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and that pushed me on to get picked as the number one for Team GB.”
Glynn suffered a split decision defeat at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro last year against the current World and European number one.
However, following a training camp in Assisi, Italy, Glynn is confident she can right the wrongs of that defeat if pitted against the same opponent in Poland.
Glynn added “It’s been amazing, I’ve just been to Italy for a training camp where I got to spar some of the world’s best females.
“The training camp has been really hard, lots of hard runs, training and sparring with loads of different people, there was a lot of variety.
“My weight is good, I feel strong and I can’t wait to get going at the European Games.
“I got selected for the European’s last year, unfortunately I came up short by a one point difference in a split decision.
“That was against the current World and European number one who I sparred out in Italy and gained a lot of experience from it.
“Hopefully, I draw her again and come out on the right end of a good decision this time.
“I’ve been working on my ring positioning, I’m mainly a counter-puncher on the back foot, I’ve tried to press forward a bit and work on where I situate myself in the ring with higher hands at times.
“My main thing is being relaxed in the ring, if that happens I can get into my flow and everything will go to plan.”
This year’s European Games take place in Krakow, Poland with the boxing event to begin on Friday, June 23 with 44 Olympic qualification places on offer.
Glynn in sponsored by Vaughtons and Version 2.
