System lets inexperienced Okesola down

YESTERDAY IN ATLANTA: Boxing

Fola Okesola fell victim of America's Nate Jones in Atlanta and the British boxing system. Okesola was let loose into the Olympic arena with just 33 months of experience and it all too plainly showed in his defeat by Jones with seven seconds left of their heavyweight bout on Thursday.

His elimination ended Britain's involvement in the tournament. Four years of planning had produced just 17 minutes 57 seconds of action with just Okesola and David Burke reaching the Games.

A tough qualifying tournament in this year's European Championships left Britain's Atlanta cupboard all but bare so when the chance came to take Okesola to the Games when a place unexpectedly became available, the amateur hierarchy took it.

In other, more bountiful years, they might not have selected such a raw, albeit talented heavyweight, for Olympic service so early in his boxing life.