Froch trainer appointed to guide British boxers for London 2012

insidethegames.biz6th November, 2009

November 6 - Rob McCracken, trainer of world super middleweight champion Carl Froch, has been appointed as British Boxing's new performance director to replace Kevin Hickey, who quit earlier this month.

McCracken, a 40-year-old from Birmingham, will oversee the the Olympic programme and has responsibility for every aspect of performance, the successful delivery of the British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) World Class Programme and the attainment of medals at future championships and London 2012.

He will lead a team of coaches and be responsible for everything from the Podium Squad to identifying and recruiting the best talent from the Home Nation's development programmes.

McCracken has been working with the current squad which failed to win a medal at this year's World Amateur Championships in Milan as a coaching consultant since February and takes up his new post with immediate effect.

McCracken, who represented Britain as an amateur boxer and won a silver medal in the 1990 World Championships, will report to Derek Mapp, the executive chairman of the BABA.

McCracken said: "My job is to create the best possible environment for the boxers to maximise their talent and deliver success.

"The set-up and facilities for the World Class Programme are second to none and it is my aim to take, what I know is a talented bunch of boxers, and mould them into medal winners."

Mapp said: "Rob is here to take the elite programme to the next level.

"He brings a depth of expertise that knows and understands both amateur boxing and what it takes to produce a world champion.

"His record as a boxer and his links with professional boxing will bring a new dimension to the Programme that will challenge and inspire the current squad, enable them to become better boxers and ultimately to deliver medals."

McCracken will continue to work with Froch and the three other professionals in his stable, Lenny Daws, John O'Donnell and Tyson Fury.

McCracken said: "The amateur boxing calendar is planned a long way in advance so I will know when the major championships are taking place and plan my workload around them.

"I have no doubt whatsoever that everything will fit together well and I want to make sure that the GB squad get to spend some time with Carl Froch and some of my other professionals to learn from them and see how a world champion trains and prepares."

After his successful amateur career, McCracken fought 35 times as a professional, winning 33 bouts 20 inside the distance.

In 1994 he won a British title at light middleweight.

McCracken moved up to middleweight in 1995 and won the vacant Commonwealth title.

He fought Keith Holmes for the WBC title in April 2000, but was stopped in the 11th round.

He retired in 2001 and started working as a trainer for the Hennessy Sports Company.

McCracken has successfully coached a number of champions, including Froch and Howard Eastman.

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