Saunders out but looking ahead

Teenager Billy Joe Saunders' Olympic dream ended against top-class Cuban Carlos Banteaux in Beijing, but thoughts are already turning towards London 2012.

The 18-year-old Saunders was comprehensively beaten 13-6 by Banteaux who combined the solid defence with accurate counter-punches that is expected to land him the welterweight gold medal.

Saunders started brightly but slipped three points behind after the opening round, although an improvement saw him bring it back to 5-4 at the halfway stage.

Banteaux started to pull away in the third though and as young Saunders tried to get back into it the Cuban picked him off to go clear towards a comfortable victory.

Scoring

Saunders questioned the much-maligned scoring system at the Beijing Workers Gymnasium, feeling his body punching was not being rewarded.

"The points didn't go for me today," said Saunders.

"In the last round I knew I wouldn't get the decision unless I knocked him out.

"The scoring here is so bad for an Olympic Games. It's unbelievable.

"I felt my performance was exceptional, but I've had better days. I felt I should have had six or seven points for my body shots, but they're not scoring body shots.

"You might as well do fencing, not boxing, if they're going to do that."

Saunders added that he was "already thinking about 2012", and boxing coach Terry Edwards hopes he stays an amateur in order to fight in front of his home crowd in four years' time.

London

"I really hope Billy carries on until 2012," Edwards said. "His talent is exceptional.

"He is very mature for his age but he will be even more then and he will be able to deal with situations like the one he faced today.

"He's going to be awesome."

Edwards, who steered Audley Harrison to Sydney gold and Amir Khan to silver in Athens, has already criticised the judging after Joe Murray's controversial defeat, and again he felt aggrieved.

"I'm not sour grapes, Billy lost, but there were some inconsistencies in the scoring," he said, adding that despite that his man battled through well.

"Billy acted in a very mature, professional way.

"He got beaten by the top act, the guy who will probably win the gold medal."