HARRISON COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT

 

Audley Harrison (right) only lasted three rounds against David Haye when they fought in late 2010

Former Olympic gold medallist Audley Harrison has come out of retirement just 20-days after quitting boxing for good.

The 41-year-old quit the sport earlier this month after he was knocked out by Deontay Wilder.

Harrison, who claimed the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney games, won 23 of his 38 professional fights by knock-out.

A statement on his website said: “As the days past, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with the decision. Seeing my son born crystallized my decision.”

Harrison’s wife, Rachael, gave birth to a little boy last week and the heavyweight boxer admitted that is why he wants to get back in the ring.

“When I made the tough decision to walk away from boxing, I knew it was not going to be easy.

“There is no way I am going to tell my son ‘I gave up because I didn’t want to climb the mountain again, I didn’t want to dust myself off again, when I’m now in the best shape of my career, doing things I haven’t done for years, and back in love with the sport’. How can I retire when I know I have another shot in me?

“If I don’t get up and try again, everything I’ve stood for would mean nothing.”

The 41-year-old added: “Setbacks pave the way for comebacks. I believe it so I have to live it and go again.”

Harrison was knocked out by the American Wilder just 70 seconds into their bout in Sheffield earlier this month. The Londoner was also knocked out in the opening round against David Price last October.

The ‘A-Force’, who won the Heavyweight Prizefighter in March, was also knocked out by David Haye inside three rounds during their fight in late 2010.

Harrison is yet to win a World Heavyweight title and despite is poor recent record in the ring his victory at Prizefighter, which was staged in York, has given the new father belief that he will one day hold the belt he has craved for so long.

“I can’t walk away with that performance,” added Harrison of the Wilder defeat.

“If I do it would haunt me until I’m old and grey. I got up, they should have let him come to finish me and let me show what I got.

“People who worry I may get hurt, I thank you for your concerns. We live in a free society and my desire for freedom and autonomy is my universal right.”

Words: Adam Grice

Photo: The Telegraph

ENCKE ONE OF SEVEN MORE TO TEST POSITIVE

Encke (Blue Silks, right) denied Camelot (Purple Silks, left) the Triple Crown by winning the St Leger Stakes by three-quarters of a length last September

Encke, the winner of the 2012 Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes, is one of seven further horses to have tested positive for a banned substance at the disgraced Godolphin stables that were previously run by Mahmood Al Zarooni.

The three-year-old denied Camelot the Triple Crown at last September’s meeting in Doncaster as the Mickael Barzalona ridden horse beat the odds on favourite by three-quarters of a length.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) undertook an extensive testing programme at the Moulton Paddock Stables which had previously been used by Al Zarooni, before he was handed his eight-year ban from the sport.

Six other horses also tested positive at the Newmarket stables and they have all been banned from competition until October, when the drugs will have left their internal systems.

The horses include: Energizer, Genius Beast, Stamford, Zip Top, Improvisation and Steeler, who was once a hope for the Derby.

BBC Sport’s horse racing correspondent Cornelius Lysaght said: “Sheikh Mohammed and his Godolphin operation will be hugely relieved that while there are seven new positives, they are all amongst the ex-Mahmood Al Zarooni horses.

“The disgraced trainer will get the blame, but, crucially, horses under the care of Saeed bin Suroor, including Saturday’s Newbury winner Farhh, all received the all-clear.

“The process for Bin Suroor to take over the entire string will now begin.”

He added: “So, although racing’s biggest modern-day drugs scandal can be said to have grown in terms of numbers of horses involved, it does remain confined to just one Godolphin team.”

At a second Godolphin stable, also in Newmarket, which is run by trainer Saeed bin Suroor in excess of 200 horses were also tested by the BHA. However, all those tests came back negative as the Godolphin group salvaged some solidarity that they are abiding the rules.

Simon Crisford, the racing manager at Godolphin said: “It is obviously very disappointing that seven further horses have tested positive for stanozolol.

“These results highlight why H.H. Sheikh Mohammed took the decision to lock down the stables at Moulton Paddocks until every Godolphin horse in training at Newmarket had been tested.

“All of Saeed bin Suroor’s horses have tested clear and we are working with the BHA to put everything back in order at Moulton Paddocks.”

Encke, who won the St Leger at odds of 25-1, passed a drugs test following that victory.

The Moulton Paddock Stables have been in lockdown since the investigation commenced into Al Zarooni, who worked in Dubai before taking over the stables in 2010.

The disgraced trainer admitted giving horses at his stables performance enhancing drugs, yet he claims, he did not know it was illegal in the United Kingdom.

In Dubai trainers are able to have their stable horses injected with performance enhancing drugs when they are not in competition.

The BHA have approved a move for the clean Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor to take over the Moulton Paddock Stables, which means that horses there could race for Godolphin in as little as two-weeks.

Meanwhile Al Zarooni has confirmed that he will appeal his ban of eight-years, however the BHA have confirmed that no date has yet been set for the hearing.

BHA director of integrity Adam Brickell said: “We will not be taking any separate action in respect of these additional positive results whilst Mr Al Zarooni’s appeal process is ongoing.

“From the outset, one of the aims of the investigation, in addition to trying to understand the environment within which such serious breaches came to be committed, has been to identify what measures are needed to ensure the yard operates in accordance with the rules in future.

“The findings will be shared with Godolphin and will also assist the BHA with regard to the future licensing of the yard.”

Al Zarooni, 35, was banned from racing on 25 April after it was confirmed that 11 horses had tested positive for banned anabolic steroids.

Words: Adam Grice

Photo: London24.com