Former Olympian passes on...
Posted: 04 Mar 2007, 09:05
Former Olympian Dave Griffiths has been found dead at his home in Cardiff at just 43.
Light-welterweight Griffiths won an ABA title and made it all the way to the Olympics in 1984. He won his first bout in Los Angeles but was then outpointed by the eventual silver medallist from Thailand. Only super-heavyweight Bobby Wells picked up a medal for a Great Britain team that included John Lyon, Pat Clinton, Rod Douglas and Mickey Hughes.
Griffiths, a strong, aggressive Welshman, is probably best remembered for a BBC-televised classic with Coventry's Clyde McIntosh in the ABA semi-finals in 1982, when he was closely outpointed. He reached the ABA final a year later, and was outsped by slippery Londoner Dave Dent, but came good in 1984 with a decision over Scot Billy Buchanan at Wembley.
That earned him the Olympic spot.
He turned pro in 1985 but had already given his best years to the amateurs, although he did win the Welsh light-welterweight title.
Light-welterweight Griffiths won an ABA title and made it all the way to the Olympics in 1984. He won his first bout in Los Angeles but was then outpointed by the eventual silver medallist from Thailand. Only super-heavyweight Bobby Wells picked up a medal for a Great Britain team that included John Lyon, Pat Clinton, Rod Douglas and Mickey Hughes.
Griffiths, a strong, aggressive Welshman, is probably best remembered for a BBC-televised classic with Coventry's Clyde McIntosh in the ABA semi-finals in 1982, when he was closely outpointed. He reached the ABA final a year later, and was outsped by slippery Londoner Dave Dent, but came good in 1984 with a decision over Scot Billy Buchanan at Wembley.
That earned him the Olympic spot.
He turned pro in 1985 but had already given his best years to the amateurs, although he did win the Welsh light-welterweight title.