MY OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHT: Terry Dainty, Canvey Boxing Club coach (From Echo)

MY OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHT: Terry Dainty, Canvey Boxing Club coach

3:19pm Wednesday 13th June 2012 in Sport By James Colasanti

Twitter: @JamesColasanti

CANVEY Boxing Club coach Terry Dainty has a host of fond Olympic memories stretching back 52 years.

He said chief among them are the greats from his own sport such as superstars Sugar Ray Leonard, who won light welterweight gold at Montreal 1976, and Cuban legend Teofilo Stevenson, who died this week from a heart attack, aged 60.

Stevenson won heavyweight gold at three consecutive Games – Munich 1972, Montreal 1796 and Moscow 1980 – and is regarded by many as the greatest ever amateur boxer.

Dainty said: “He had it all and very few could stand up to his right hand. He was a true gentlemen too, and he gave many like me so many great memories.”

Dainty’s Olympic memories are not restricted to just the square circle, though, and he says he’ll also never forget Scot Allan Wells winning 100m gold at Moscow 1980.

He also recalls seeing Welsh athlete Lynn Davies win a long jump gold medal on his Olympic debut aged just 22 at the Tokyo 1964, and even has a faint memory of York-born swimmer Anita Lonsbrough winning 200m breaststroke gold at Rome 1960.

“It’s fair to say I am a huge fan of the Olympic Games and always have been,” said Dainty.

“I went to see the boxing at Barcelona in 1992 and it was a great experience.”