Audley Harrison ended over '30 years of hurt' for British boxing when he captured gold in the super-heavyweight category at the Sydney Olympics.

It must be something about the Australian air, because aside from Chris Finnegan's triumph in Mexico City in 1968, the only other boxing golds won in the post war period came at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.

That year, Eastender Terry Spinks and Scotland's Dick McTaggart brought home golds, although their careers followed very different paths thereafter.

Spinks was just a mere 18 when he scooped the top prize in the flyweight category and turned professional soon after.

Champion

The son of a West Ham bookmaker, he became the British featherweight champion, but never reached the heights of world title status.

After retiring, he began training fighters and ironically trained the Koreans at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The one black spot against him was his failure to ever be awarded one of the Queen's honours for his achievements, something which was bestowed on both Finnegan and McTaggart.

It is believed that a picture taken of him with the Kray brothers may have been held against him, although coming from the East End and being a fighter tended to ensure some kind of association with the notorious twins.

While Spinks' professional career guaranteed him immense popularity, McTaggart elected against following the same route.

His amateur career incorporated an astonishing 634 fights, with 610 victories and just 24 defeats. During that time, he won 32 cups, 57 plaques and 49 medals.

Stylish

But it was performances at the 1956 Olympics which will always be remembered. Awarded the Val Barker Trophy for being the tournament's most stylish boxer, McTaggart scooped gold in the lightweight class and took bronze when he attempted to defend his title at the 1960 games in Rome.

He won three ABA titles as a lightweight (1956, 1958 & 1960) and two as a light heavyweight (1963 & 1965). In boxing circles at the time it was said that no one really knew how good McTaggart was, because however good his opponent was he always managed to be just that bit better.

Nicknamed the 'Glasgow Ratcatcher' despite hailing from Dundee, McTaggart is still involved in boxing today with the Scottish Amateur Boxing Association.

"The greatest amateur I ever saw was Dick McTaggart" said former BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter. "But if there is another McTaggert out there now, he'll go unsung and unrecognised."

Colourful