Jeff Horn had never entered a ring when the Beijing Olympics was held.

Four years on he's Australia's last man standing in the pursuit of a drought-breaking boxing medal at the London Games.

Horn will fight Ukrainian world No.2 Denys Berinchyk in the light welterweight quarter-finals on Wednesday night, a fight his coach back in Australia claims has been in his thoughts and plans for months.

"Jeff had never stepped in the ring when the Beijing Olympics were held and was a little shocked when I told him he had the ability to go to the London Olympics - before he'd even had a fight," Glenn Rushton told AAP from Australia.

"Since we started preparations for these Olympics, I have been focused on Jeff fighting Berinchyk and have directed a large amount of his training towards beating him.

"I don't know why, just coach's intuition, but I have always felt Jeff would fight Berinchyk.

"It will be a war, of that I have no doubt, but Jeff is ready for everything Berinchyk can throw at him and is ready to put his body on the line for his country."

Horn has been Australia's most composed fighter of the Games, the only one who has had the faith to stick with his fight plan for the entire bout.

There may be more talented fighters within the Aussie squad, but none have handled the Olympic atmosphere better.

And while he has never fought Berinchyk, Horn knows he will be in for a battle.

"He just keeps coming, he's a pressure fighter, he moves a lot," Horn said of the world championship silver medallist.

"He's going to be a tough fight.

"He's my kind of style, I don't mind that."

Olympic team coach Don Abnett said he and Horn had come up with a way of combating the Ukrainian's street-fighting style.

"We have to hit and move - don't stand there and try and trade (punches) with him," Abnett said.

Steve Jancetic
AAP