BOXING:THE DADDY of the group, the captain and the link with Irish amateur boxing's golden past. Billy Walsh roomed with Michael Carruth through most of his amateur career, but Kenny Egan sat on the floor in his house in Neilstown and watched Carruth win his gold in 1992. Egan decided there and then that he would do the same.

His brother Willie had already attempted to interest him, with moderate success. Willie's coach in Neilstown was Noel Humpston, a brother-in-law of Austin Carruth. On the evening Michael won gold in Barcelona, young Kenny Egan spotted Humpston on the television in shots of the Carruths' chaotic livingroom. Now he was interested. The impossible suddenly seemed real.

He lost his first four national titles as a young fellow, but, in a sign of the perseverance which would eventually get him to an Olympiad, he ploughed on. And hasn't lost since.

Egan is one of the great successes of the improvements brought about by the IABA's high performance programme. His eight senior titles in succession required that his CV be filled out with an Olympic adventure, and so far in the light-heavyweight division he has looked like one of the class acts in the field. His flawless tactical demolition of Washington Silva in the quarter-finals drew praise from many quarters.

He can punch, but his speciality is his defence which so far in this tournament has been immaculate.

Tony Jeffries, who he fights today, looks to be a class beneath Egan and may have peaked by getting to the medal rounds. It's been a long haul of blood (not too much) sweat (an ocean) and tears (he failed to make Athens), but today Egan is a solid bet to advance in search of the gold he began prospecting for all those years ago on his living room floor.

"Defence is what I am good at. That's why I have the looks that I have!"

- Tom Humphries