Gavin Calls in Hatton's Man to Help Him Make the Weight

Frankie Gavin, the world champion amateur boxer and one of Britain's strongest hopes for a gold at the Olympic Games, has revealed that his struggle to make the weight has forced him to seek the help of the man responsible for controlling Ricky Hatton's perennial battle with the scales.

Kerry Kayes, the body-builder turned sports nutritionist, confirmed that "his trainer, Tommy Chaney, came to see me because Frankie was very concerned that he was not going to make the weight for the Olympics. I said of course I'll help. We all know Ricky comes into the gym three stone overweight as Ricky Fatton, and I've always got him bang on the mark and he's never dead at the weight - that's why they wanted me to help Frankie."

Three weeks ago Gavin's Olympic ambitions at lightweight looked in jeopardy. Unlike Hatton, who indulges in a riotous lifestyle between fights, Gavin has been relentlessly dedicated as the British Olympic boxers have competed across Europe. Earlier this month, removing his shirt to expose his drained body, he asked: "How can I shift any more weight?"

With his ability to "replace empty calories with real nutrition", Kayes has transformed the situation. "The weight has been a real struggle but with Kerry's help I'm flying again," Gavin said, predicting that he would outstrip Amir Khan by winning gold in Beijing. Khan's silver medal in the same division four years ago led to him turning professional.

Gavin is being pursued by promoters in Britain and America but he has yet to decide if he will leave the amateur ranks. "It's 50-50. If the amateurs come up with something good I could stay on for 2012." His disillusion with the sports governing body, however, is plain. "The ABA are a joke. They do nothing. They give so many promises but they don't keep 'em. I can't see me staying amateur unless something changes. We go to tournaments in Albania and the Albanians are there in tracksuits and we're in our own clothes. UK Sport bought us some tracksuits the other day. It was only £25 and it didn't look that good but at least we had a tracksuit - instead of nothing. The ABA are full of promises but they don't happen."

A source close to the Olympic team suggests some fighters are unhappy with their being "flogged" in competitions across Europe. Kayes said: "In my opinion, they should be rested for the big event - the Olympics. I've worked with Ricky Hatton for seven years and he's never missed the weight. So Frankie will do it. It's not for me to say whether he would have done it without my help but he was definitely in danger.'"

Kayes has not been asked to accompany Gavin to Beijing. "I know I could help him a lot nutritionally but my help ends when Frankie gets on the plane. But he keeps winning and so unless he over trains and goes to the well too many times he's going to get gold."