Last updated 13:33, Monday, 01 September 2008

James Degale says he won’t be following Olympic heroes Audley Harrison and Amir Khan into pro boxing.

Let’s hope the man who collected Britain’s 19th gold medal in Beijing sticks to his guns.

All too often top amateur sportsmen can’t resist the financial lure of joining the money-spinning paid ranks, and it doesn’t always mean they can continue their success.

DeGale’s triumph was all the more remarkable considering he was the least likely of Britain’s seven-strong boxing squad to win a medal and he also had to overcame brutal tactics by Cuban opponent Emilio Bayeaux and also faced a hostile crowd who booed the national anthem. It would be great if the 22-year-old could defend his crown in London in 2012 instead of becoming a journeyman pro.