Washington-born boxing duo Pat and Luke McCormack step up Olympic hopes in return to action

13 men and women from the GB Boxing squad will fly to Serbia today to take part in the Belgrade Winner Tournament later this month.

The team will include highly-rated Washington-born brothers Pat and Luke McCormack

The tournament, which is part of the squad’s preparations for the forthcoming European Olympic qualifier in Paris, will mark a return to action for more than a year as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

For former Commonwealth gold medalist Pat McCormack, the tournament will be his first competitive outing since the final of the World Championship in September 2019.

The welterweight boxer had to settle for a silver medal after the contest was halted due to a cut when his opponent was ahead on the judges’ scorecards.

The 25-year-old is the number one ranked welterweight in the world and is looking forward to stepping through the ropes after an 18-month lay-off which is the longest period he has been inactive for over a decade.

McCormack said: “It’s been eighteen months since I’ve competed and I can’t wait to get back in the ring.

“During the first lockdown, I did have some time off. It was good to have a breather and give my mind a rest, but now it’s good to be back. We were meant to box in a few tournaments but they kept getting canceled, so I am just glad that this one is going ahead.

“I am buzzing at the thought of it. There will definitely be some nerves because anything can happen in boxing but I’ve been training hard and have been living the life so I have got no excuses.

“It’s a big period coming up, so the plan is to go and get a gold medal in Serbia then we’ve got the qualifier in about 50 days, then it’s on to the Olympic Games and winning a medal there.”

Pat’s brother, Luke, will compete in the lightweight division at the tournament as the pair look to emulate Sunderland boxer Tony Jeffries and make their mark in the Olympics.

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