By David Field, PA Sport Boxing Correspondent, Sydney

Britain's big medal hope Audley Harrison must launch his Olympic dream against a Russian who beat him the only time they met.

The draw at the Sydney Exhibition Centre on Darling Harbour on Thursday paired Harrison with Alexei Lezine in the first round of the super-heavyweight division on Saturday week.

Harrison, 28, lost a points verdict to 1996 bronze medallist Lezine in the opening qualifying tournament in Finland a year ago, but Olympic coach Ian Irwin reckons it could have both harder and kinder for the man striving for the boxing gold which has eluded Britain since Chris Finnegan's feat in Mexico 32 years ago.

Twelve months on since that first joust with Lezine, Harrison is the more complete article, insists Irwin.

"If Audley is right on the day, gets his mind right, he's capable of beating anybody.

"It won't be easy, but he can box, move and hit and if you've got those three qualities at that weight then I think you are in business," said Irwin.

"It could have been a tougher first round draw. It's a fairly even split with the Cuban (Alexis Rubalcaba) and the German (Cengiz Koc) in the top half of the draw, and Lezine and the American (Calvin Brock) in the other half.

"Harrison is a different fighter from when he lost to Lezine 12 months ago. He's a hell of a lot fitter, a better fighter.

"He lost to Lezine in the semi-finals in Finland, but gave him a good bout - and he's had 12 more international contests since then, and much more experience.

"Lezine is a good boxer, got good feet and it's a case of closing him down and not giving him space to work. The Russian's not a big hitter as such."

Lezine, 27, lost in the Atlanta semi-final four years ago to the eventual winner of the gold, Ukraine's Vladimir Klitschko. The southpaw from Oulianovsk, who names Mike Tyson as his "most admired person" in his biography details, won only one of the five points scored in that cagey encounter with Klitschko.

Victory for Harrison will pair him with New Zealand's Angus or another Ukrainian with ambitions of emulating Klitschko, Oleksii Mazikin, in round two.

In a competition of only 16 +91kg competitors, a second win would guarantee ambitious Audley a bronze medal.

Courtney Fry, Britain's only other boxing Olympian, will meet Ghana's Charles Adamu in the first round of the light-heavy category on Wednesday.

Adamu won a bronze in the last Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, though avoiding Londoner Fry on his path to the gold.

Irwin observed: "Courtney's got a good draw, though winning any medal is going to be hard. He can do well - Courtney believes in himself. The ball is in his court now."

Ireland's only competitor, Cork light-middle Michael Roche, must meet Turkey's Sirat Karagollu in his opener on Tuesday. The Turk was 1994 European junior champion in 1994 and two years later won a silver medal at the world junior championships.