Sunderland represented at Tokyo Olympics as boxing brothers qualify for 2021 games

That’s after Wearside-born boxing brothers Pat and Luke McCormack bagged their spots on the plane to Tokyo over the weekend.

A triumphant week at the ‘Boxing Road to Tokyo’ European Olympic qualifier in Paris saw the GB team qualify 11 boxers (seven men and four women) bag their spot at the Olympics.

The games will take place this summer instead after the original date was derailed by the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Seven of the 12 boxers from Great Britain that competed at the tournament reached the final.

The team returned from Paris with nine medal haul with Pat McCormack capturing gold whilst Luke McCormack nabbed a bronze medal.

In the men’s welterweight category, Pat gained revenge on the Russian who beat him in the 2019 world championship final as he unanimously outpointed Andrei Zamkovoi to win the top prize.

Luke secured a place at Tokyo 2021 after victory over Turkey’s Tugrulhan Erdemir in the light welterweight division earlier in the day.

The McCormacks join a fine Wearside Olympic boxing tradition after Ryhope’s Josh Kelly represented the area at the 2016 games in Brazil but failed to medal in the welterweight division.

However, the brothers will be looking to emulate or better Sunderland’s Tony Jeffries who bagged a bronze medal in the light heavyweight division at the Beijing Olympics in 206.

A highlights show featuring the performance of the GB Boxing team in Paris – including the exploits of Pat and Luke – will be shown on BBC 2 this Sunday at 11:30pm.

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