BOXING: Australian boxers will take the next step on their long and difficult path to the Rio Olympics at a challenge event in Melbourne this weekend. 

Every runner-up at last month’s Australian championships is entitled to challenge the gold medallist, in the hope of reversing the result in a best-of-three contest. 

Only two silver medallists decided against challenging, including Victorian Kris Tersvieski, who lost to Commonwealth Games silver medallist Joseph Goodall after a head wound forced the referee to stop the fight. 

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Shelley Watts will take on Gold Coast silver medallist, Anja Stridsman, while former World Junior Champion, Clay Waterman, will try and reverse the result against Commonwealth Games and World Championship boxer, Daniel Lewis. 

If results are reversed on Saturday, boxers will have a third and deciding bout on Sunday. 

The overall winners will then get the chance to compete at next year’s Asian and Oceania Olympic qualifiers. 

David Biddle, who won his second Australian 64kg title when he beat NSW’s Felipe Blemith on the Gold Coast, is a fan of the challenge system. 

“I’d never seen Felipe before the Gold Coast,” Biddle said. 

“He sort of popped out of nowhere. I’ve been studying our fight on the Gold Coast, so I might mix it up a bit this time. 

“I might not be so attacking this time, because he was catching me when I was coming in, so I might mix it up a bit. 

“I’m pretty confident I’ll get him again.” 

2015 has been a break-out year for Biddle, who was one of Australia’s better performers at the World Championships in Doha. 

“I was pretty happy with the outcome, really,” Biddle said. 

“I’ve had a few people say I won that fight. Well I didn’t win it, but it was obviously a close fight, so I’m happy with that. 

“I think I fell over my front foot a bit, maybe I was trying too hard, going for the kill too much.” 

Ross Solly for Boxing Australia