Caroline Dubois through to the next round, ex-Katie Taylor foe eliminated
Caroline Dubois is through to the next round of Olympic qualifying after winning her first-round bout at London’s Copper Box Arena.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Dubois said: "I give myself a 'C' for that performance, but for the first fight it was OK. Everyone knows about her. She's only got two hands, one brain and two legs. To be the best you've got to beat the best, and I believe I'm the best."
Caroline is the younger sibling to 22-year-old knockout heavyweight Daniel Dubois. The Frank Warren fighter is currently preparing for the biggest fight of his career against 2016 Olympian Joe Joyce and will be headlining the BT Sports PPV show. Joyce, otherwise known as the 'Juggernaut', won silver at the Rio Games four years ago - something Dubois never had the chance to do having came through the ranks too late.
🥊 The perfect start for Youth Olympic champion Caroline Dubois at the Copper Box Arena 💪
— Team GB (@TeamGB) March 14, 2020
She records a dominant 5-0 points victory over Ana Staradub of Belarus in the women's lightweight division to move closer to Tokyo qualification 🇬🇧#BeInTheirCorner #RoadToTokyo pic.twitter.com/3nDB0b9bZV
Elsewhere, super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke was given a bye into the next round after his opponent Clemente Russo withdrew.Russo, who defeated ex-WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder at the 2008 Olympics, backed out of the qualification round because of an abdominal injury. It was sustained through 'bad digestion' according to the Italian.
Clarke is hoping to follow Anthony Joshua and Joe Joyce in representing Team GB having missed out in Rio and London to the pair. Joshua famously won gold while Joyce lost in controversial circumstances to Tony Yoka.
The former world champion will have one more chance of making Tokyo, though, with the final qualification tournament expected to take place in Paris despite coronavirus fears.