Euro boxing champ from Dereham

Dereham's Lucy Abel captained the England ladies' boxing team at the third Women's European Union Boxing Championships in Liverpool last week, led by example with a fine win and is now rated tenth in the world at her weight.

A Royal Navy lieutenant on HMS Sultan, she led the 11-strong squad at one of the largest international tournaments in Europe, comprising of 20 countries and over 100 competitors.

She easily secured victory over her Finnish opponent in her quarter-final (11-2), then faced tougher opposition against Malefaki, a Greek who won her quarter-final by a first-round knock out. Abel had to box clever, but she always looked in control, easing to a 7-2 victory to reach the finals.

In the battle for the gold medal, Abel faced Gratzck of Poland, ranked No 6 in the world, a rival who defeated her in the first round of the competition last year. Abel, started aggressively. In a physical fight she denied the Pole a single point to win the first EU Gold Medal for England, 4-0.

Abel proved to be a convincing champion having only conceded four points in the whole of the competition, and thoroughly deserved to achieve her first major championship gold medal.

The England team proved that despite their relative inexperience, they are a team to be taken seriously, winning eight medals altogether: two gold, four silver and two bronze.

Abel's success at these championships means she is now in the top 10 in the world at her weight. She remains focused on the future, “I am delighted with my performance in Liverpool as it proves I have the ability to beat the best in Europe and the world, but I have no time to be complacent. I am straight back into my training regime for an international tournament in Hungary in September which is part of my preparation for the world championships in China later this year.”