Lowestoft boxer, Anthony Ogogo, pulled out all the stops yesterday and beat the Ukrainian World Champion Ievgen Khytrov.
Ogogo's Olympic dream carries on as he fights his way towards gold.
He always seems able to defeat opponents who should, on paper, be able to beat him. Their rankings would suggest that he'd have little hope of seeing them off.
But he just keeps going and everyone back home in Lowestoft is hoping that our boxer can emulate James DeGale who won a boxing gold at Beijing.
But the victory was tight. As the bout finished the score was 18-18. On countback the twoboxers were still locked at 52-52. Then it went to the five judges pressing the red button in one fighter's favour and Lowestoft's Ogogo sank to his knees in thanks.
An appeal by the Ukrainians was turned down, while Ogogo said: "This is my time. It was such a tough fight. The bad luck I've had with the draw and the disruptions before, I was due a bit of luck. I have been on the other end so many times.
"I'm so proud to wear this [GB] lion on my chest. It feels amazing. People don't realise I'm a pretty determined fighter. I surprise people by how well I can fight. No one believed I'd win this fight other than me and my family. I don't even think the rest of the team thought I could do it. I will sleep like a baby tonight."
Ogogo carries an extra weight on his mind each and every time he enters the ring. His mum, Teresa, is recovering in hospital after a brain haemorrhage she suffered six weeks ago.
But Ogogo was buoyed by the birth just days ago of his nephew Sonny. Sister Leanne was in labour as he was in the ring against Castillo.
So can our Lowestoft boxer do it? Can he go all the way and bring back a Gold medal? We certainly think so!
And if the support he's getting from everyone at his training gym and in Lowestoft generally is anything to go by, he'll be carried to the final on a tide of euphoria that local lad has 'done good'.
Go Ogogo!
