Harrison eases into gold-medal match

Audley Harrison takes the plaudits after his emphatic semi-final win

British superheavyweight Audley Harrison is guaranteed at least an Olympic silver medal after moving into the final.

Harrison destroyed Italian Paolo Vidoz, finishing the bout 16 points ahead, as only the fourth boxer to pass 32 points in the Olympic competition.

He will face the Kazakhstani Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov, who dismissed the Uzbekistani Rustam Saidov 28-22 in Friday's other bout.

Harrison dominated the fight, although there were times when he let Vidoz get to within an uncomfortably close three points.

Composure

But a superb final round saw Harrison extend the gap from 17-14 to 32-16 as Vidoz faltered, exhausted.

He is the first British boxing finalist since 1968, when Chris Finnegan, who won the middleweight gold medal.

"I'm getting better all the time," Harrison said. "I knew Vidoz would give me my hardest fight. He was tough, but I kept my composure and my confidence even when he tried to break me up.

"I'm feeling great. I came here for gold and so far I'm on target. I've reached the final and I'm up for it."

I knew Vidoz would give me my hardest fight. He was tough, but I kept my composure and my confidence even when he tried to break me up

  Audley Harrison

Former British heavyweight Joe Bugner, who had accused Harrison of being lazy in his previous fight, said: "I'm proud of you. You did exactly what I wanted you to."

The short, squat, powerful Vidoz's tactics were to try to close Harrison down.

But Harrison soon got going and he landed three or four superb shots to force a standing eighty count for his rival with 50 seconds of the first round still to go. Vidoz's face started bleeding profusely as Harrison went 6-2 up.

The Italian came back towards the end of the round, but Harrison ended it 8-4 ahead.

Purposeful bull

Harrison defended well and kept Vidoz at distance, boxing according to his tactics, even though the Italian ploughed forwards like a purposeful bull, even though he was bleeding heavily.

Harrison finished the second round 14-9.

Vidoz started the third round well, coming in close and narrowing the gap to 14-12, but an excellent and accurate combination from Harrison opened the gap out to five points again.

Vidoz, though, closed back to an uncomfortably close 17-14 with 30 seconds to go, as Harrison allowed himself to get crowded back on to the ropes, and that was how they went into the final round.

Doctor

Harrison, though, started the fourth round well and opened it out to 21-14 within 30 seconds.

By this stage, Harrison's gloves were covered in Vidoz's blood, and the doctor had to be called to check on a cut below the Italian's eye.

But he ordered them to fight on, and Harrison was 11 points ahead with 30 seconds to go, and he extended the lead to 32-16 with 15 seconds to go as Vidoz was given another standing eight count.