Marshall aiming use Worlds as springboard to Rio 2016
BySportsbeat
Published 11/11/2014 at 14:32 GMT
Savannah Marshall admits she will already have one eye on Rio 2016 as she enters the ring to defend her middleweight title at the forthcoming World Boxing Championships in Jeju City, South Korea.
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Image credit: Eurosport
Back in 2012, Savannah celebrated her 21st birthday by becoming Britain's first ever women's world boxing champion with victory over Elena Vystropova in China.
She was unable to follow that up with Olympic gold three months later however, suffering a first-round loss to Marina Volnova of Kazakhstan.
Instead it was Nicola Adams who caught the headlines and became the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title when she won women's flyweight gold in London.
Shoulder surgery has ruled Adams out of competing at the Worlds, which get underway on Sunday, leaving Marshall to lead the team.
The 23-year-old underwent shoulder surgery herself earlier this year but bounced back to claim gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.
And now fully-fit, Savannah insists it's all about building towards being at top form for Rio.
"I'm aiming to be at my best for the Olympics so this is kind of like a stepping stone, that's how I'm seeing it," she told Sky Sports.
"Two years is a long time but right now I'm feeling really fit and I'm really looking forward to the Worlds.
"I think that'll take a lot longer to get back to my best but I do a lot feel better than I did in the summer.
"Everyone's a threat really, especially because I'm reigning world champion, everyone wants to take my spot. I'm not overlooking anyone. Everyone is a threat.
"There is a little bit (of pressure) but I've got the skills, I can cope and not let that get to me."
� Sportsbeat 2014
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