Harrison backs boxers to hit high fives

Audley Harrison today claimed that England's five finalists in the Commonwealth Games boxing competition can discover a gold mine beneath the canvas ring at Manchester's MEN Arena.

No one knows more about what it takes to strike gold at amateur boxing's highest level than Harrison, who won in the super-heavyweight division four years ago in Kuala Lumpur and at the Sydney Olympics.

After watching Darren Barker, Paul Smith, David Dolan, Darren Langley and Steven Birch claim victory in their respective semifinals, Harrison said: "They are all potential gold medallists. They've done great to get to the final and now it is a case of finishing it off. Their destiny is in their own hands. They have got to dig deep and get that gold medal."

Barker, who fights for Repton, Harrison's old club, goes in against Mohammed Kayongo, of Uganda, and Smith takes on Canadian national champion Jean Pascal.

Dolan is up against 6ft 6in Canadian David Cadieux and Croydon postman Langley faces Indian Mohammad Ali Qamar, who was a quarter-finalist at last year's world championships in Belfast.

England's fifth finalist is 19-year-old Steven Birch from St Helens. In the middleweight final he faces Australian Paul Miller.

More medals were in the offing in the pool as England's 50metres breaststrokers powered into the semi-finals today.

Darren Mew, James Gibson and Adam Whitehead set the three fastest times in this morning's heats. Bath University's Mew led the way with the quickest time of 27.99sec.

Local favourite James Hickman beat defending champion and Games record holder Geoff Huegill, of Australia, in their heat of the 100m butterfly. Hickman won in 53.90sec with Huegill second in 54.18sec.

Beckenham's David Bennett and Stephen Parry, from Liverpool, also qualified for the semi-finals. Canada's Mike Mintenko was quickest in 53.72sec.