Tweet
TAYLOR'S ROAD TO OLYMPICS BEGINS AT WORLD EVENT
The Chronicle Herald , Nova Scotia
Oct 18 2012
Canada
CYRUS TAYLOR hopes the long road to the Brazil Olympics in 2016 goes
through Armenia.
Middleton's Taylor is the only boxer from Nova Scotia selected
to be part of Canada's team for the upcoming world youth boxing
championships.
Athletes competing will be ages 17 and 18.
The four-member Canadian team will compete in Yerevan from
Nov. 28-Dec. 7.
The 18-year-old Taylor, who competes in the 81 kg. weight class,
competed at the nationals in Quebec last winter, where he won gold.
That earned him a spot on the Canadian team for a tournament in
Brandenburg, Germany this summer.
In Germany, he opened with a 14-6 win over an opponent from the Czech
Republic before losing a two-point decision to a fighter from Norway.
"Those two combined were like a tryout for the world championships,
so we've been waiting since I got home on Aug. 28 to hear," he said
of his selection. "We just heard (last week) we were going so it's
a big stress reliever."
The tournament in Germany brought together many of the top European
fighters. Taylor, a silver medallist at the Canada Games in Halifax
in 2011, said he had a "mental block" in his loss to the Norwegian
and learned some valuable lessons about international competition.
"I know I can beat that guy. I think it did wonders for my boxing
career actually losing to him. I was questioning myself a little bit,
but after losing to him I knew I belonged here."
Bruce Harkness, Taylor's coach at the Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club,
said his young fighter is one of the hardest workers he's ever seen.
He's known Taylor since he was a young boy.
"I can probably count on both hands the days of training he's missed,"
said Harkness, who has helped raised the money to get Taylor to his
international events. "He's just such a dedicated athlete. He's a
gentleman. He's just a really, really nice kid and an ambassador to
the sport."
Taylor's training involves nights in the gym and long days of farm
work. He hopes to get his own farm one day.
He knows Armenia will be a measuring stick for the next four years.
Many of the fighters in the draw should be at the top of their amateur
careers when the next Olympics roll around.
"I'm shooting for the podium," he said, unconcerned about the level of
competition. "I know Cuba, Russia, France, Germany and the U.S. will
all be strong. From Bradenburg, France, Germany and Russia were just
unreal. They were powerhouses, for sure. But I'm looking forward to
meeting them in the fights."
His goal is to be in Rio in 2016. He has some plans to spar with 2012
Olympian Custio Clayton of Dartmouth.
"I think that dream is in the back of every athlete's mind," Taylor
said. "I'm trying to bring it to the front of my mind right now."
http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/150188-taylor-s-road-to-olympics-begins-at-world-event
The Chronicle Herald , Nova Scotia
Oct 18 2012
Canada
CYRUS TAYLOR hopes the long road to the Brazil Olympics in 2016 goes
through Armenia.
Middleton's Taylor is the only boxer from Nova Scotia selected
to be part of Canada's team for the upcoming world youth boxing
championships.
Athletes competing will be ages 17 and 18.
The four-member Canadian team will compete in Yerevan from
Nov. 28-Dec. 7.
The 18-year-old Taylor, who competes in the 81 kg. weight class,
competed at the nationals in Quebec last winter, where he won gold.
That earned him a spot on the Canadian team for a tournament in
Brandenburg, Germany this summer.
In Germany, he opened with a 14-6 win over an opponent from the Czech
Republic before losing a two-point decision to a fighter from Norway.
"Those two combined were like a tryout for the world championships,
so we've been waiting since I got home on Aug. 28 to hear," he said
of his selection. "We just heard (last week) we were going so it's
a big stress reliever."
The tournament in Germany brought together many of the top European
fighters. Taylor, a silver medallist at the Canada Games in Halifax
in 2011, said he had a "mental block" in his loss to the Norwegian
and learned some valuable lessons about international competition.
"I know I can beat that guy. I think it did wonders for my boxing
career actually losing to him. I was questioning myself a little bit,
but after losing to him I knew I belonged here."
Bruce Harkness, Taylor's coach at the Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club,
said his young fighter is one of the hardest workers he's ever seen.
He's known Taylor since he was a young boy.
"I can probably count on both hands the days of training he's missed,"
said Harkness, who has helped raised the money to get Taylor to his
international events. "He's just such a dedicated athlete. He's a
gentleman. He's just a really, really nice kid and an ambassador to
the sport."
Taylor's training involves nights in the gym and long days of farm
work. He hopes to get his own farm one day.
He knows Armenia will be a measuring stick for the next four years.
Many of the fighters in the draw should be at the top of their amateur
careers when the next Olympics roll around.
"I'm shooting for the podium," he said, unconcerned about the level of
competition. "I know Cuba, Russia, France, Germany and the U.S. will
all be strong. From Bradenburg, France, Germany and Russia were just
unreal. They were powerhouses, for sure. But I'm looking forward to
meeting them in the fights."
His goal is to be in Rio in 2016. He has some plans to spar with 2012
Olympian Custio Clayton of Dartmouth.
"I think that dream is in the back of every athlete's mind," Taylor
said. "I'm trying to bring it to the front of my mind right now."
http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/150188-taylor-s-road-to-olympics-begins-at-world-event