BOXING: Commonwealth Games gold medallist Shelley Watts has successfully defended her 60kg Australian Boxing title at the Gold Coast.
But the 28-year-old revealed she struggled to get into the ring on Saturday night, as the fallout from her semi-final win over local hope, Skye Nicolson, took its toll.
“This weekend I let the pressure get the better of me,” Watts said after her hard-fought win over fellow NSW’s boxer, Anje Stridsman.
“I’m not gong to lie, I had a few tears this morning. I would feel very sorry for someone who doesn’t have the mental strength I have.
“But I just have to learn to live with it. I’ve got the Commonwealth Games gold medal, but I don’t want to stop there.
“I want an Olympic medal as well.”
In the other Olympic divisions, Perth teenager Caitlin Parker got revenge on Commonwealth Games athlete, Kaye Scott, in the 75kg category.
Scott beat Parker in a close decision at the national titles in April this year.
And Victoria’s Kristy Harris won her fifth consecutive national title, beating NSW’s Jasmeen Hudson in the 51kg.
The most emotional victory of the night came in the 64kg division, where Victoria’s Alison Allan beat South Australia’s Rebecca Burgess for the gold medal.
Allan has revealed her six-year-old daughter, Isabella, has been diagnosed with leukemia, prompting an outpouring of support from the boxing community.
Other gold medallists were Queensland’s Schinead Johnson in the 48kg, NSW’s Viviana Ruiz Corredor in the 54kg, and Victoria’s Cassie Axon in the 57kg.
Australia’s Commonwealth Games boxing silver medallist, Joseph Goodall, has shown he is close to being back to his best with a knockout of his opponent in the semi-finals of the Australian Championships.
Goodall, who contracted glandular fever shortly before his medal-winning performance in Glasgow, dominated his super heavyweight bout against New South Welshman, Christian Balzer.
After landing a series of crunching blows in the opening two rounds, Goodall stepped up the power in the final round, sending Balzer crashing to the canvas to claim the first knock out of the championships this week.
Goodall says he has only recently regained his strength after his health battles, and will take on Victoria’s Kristofer Tersievski for the gold medal.
The men’s 75kg final will be a highlight on the final day, with Commonwealth and World Championship boxer, Daniel Lewis, taking on former World Junior Champion, Clay Waterman.
There were mixed results for Australia’s top male boxers, with World Championship trio Jason Whateley, David Biddle and Jayden Hansen all progressing to Sunday’s gold medal bouts.
But Joshua Keirl, Nathan Webber and Aaron Spagnolo all suffered semi-final losses.
Only the top two boxers in each men’s and women’s division will go through to the next round of the Olympic selection process, in Melbourne next month.
Ross Solly for Boxing Australia