Click here for round-by-round report

Audley Harrison's latest Olympic victim wiped the blood from his damaged nose on Friday and declared: "He wins gold, easily".

Italy's Paolo Vidoz had just been systematically taken apart in the super-heavyweight final for Harrison to become Britain's first Olympic boxing finalist since Chris Finnegan 32 years ago.

Finnegan, of course, went on to strike middleweight gold in those 1968 Mexico Olympics, and articulate Audley is one just eight famous minutes away from the same elite status, and a key to the professional treasure chest.

Being big and saleable, Harrison is just the fighting product British boxing so badly needs, and the man standing in the way of his dream of becoming a "somebody" will be the man from Kazakhstan, Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov, nicknamed "Fly".

"People used to see me as a 10-year-old saying 'one day I'm going to be famous, one day I'm going to be a somebody'.

"I've always believed in my destiny. That's why I'm very cool very calm about it. I was born to do something special,"said Harrison after his 32-16 semi-final triumph which guarantees him a silver medal.

"I came into boxing very late, but it's something that I've been blessed with, something that's been bestowed on me. I intend to make the most of it. I'm not daunted about it. I'm aware of the mountain I'm on, it is Mount Everest and I'm hopefully going up."

Apart from Finnegan, Terry Spinks and Dick McTaggart - both at Melbourne in 1956 - were Britain's other post-Second World War boxing gold medallists.

And perhaps that same Australian atmosphere will help lift Harrison to the ultimate success.

Harrison's hand speed and choice to the right moment to attack were impressive. Vidoz, the world championships silver medallist quickly went 2-0 ahead but found himself 2-6 down by a lightning onslaught from the British southpaw.

The lefts drilled in, and if Vidoz ever dropped his head, in came the uppercut. At the end of round one, Harrison was 8-4 in front, the perfect cushion against an opponent he knew had the tools to derail his Olympic vehicle.

Harrison continued to pick his punches with a defined accuracy and the blood which smeared across Vidoz's faced in the opening round flowed again, Again, Harrison scored in rapid clusters to keep pushing the Italian out of close contention. It was 14-9 after two, but Vidoz outscored Harrison in the third, as the Briton attempted to make the Italian punch himself out.

The thinking fighter was thus pegged to 17-14 going into the last. It was then Harrison galloped away from 21-15 to 27-16 in a blur of leather.

Vidoz took a standing count; he had been given a working over in the fourth and Harrison was home.

He said: "It went pretty much to plan. It was about making use of my left cross and I felt he was getting tired, I sat on him and did a bit of a rope-a-dope and made him open up.

"I was never in trouble. It was game plan I had, I know he likes to break people down but I knew he could do it.

"I knew he wouldn't be able to go with me, so I'd tired him out enough so that's why I opened up on him in the last round. I haven't seen my opponent from Kazakhstan, I haven't studied him yet but I'll be doing my homework, doing my revision and I expect to pass that exam.

"I wasn't getting the scores in that third round, I was letting him tire himself, let him punch himself out a bit, I could hear him breathing heavier.

"It felt right at the end to go, I didn't think he could stay with me. I was ready to go into a different gear. I've got gears, and people say I'm lazy, I like to sit on the ropes. You've seen three different styles for three different opponents.

"I've proved that I'm an adaptable fighter, and that obviously bodes well for the future. I'll look at Dildabekov's strengths and weaknesses and if it needs a fourth style, then a fourth style will be found.

"I blitzed it in the last round just to make sure. Gold? I'm thinking nothing at the moment. I've got to analyse this fight, see what I did good what I did wrong but everyone knows what I've come here for, it's a goal I've set for myself since the Commonwealth Games.

"I've overcome three obstacles, and they were all tough opponents in their own right especially (Alexeii) Lezin, especially Vidoz. This guy from Kazakhstan is a soldier, he's obviously going to have a tough spirit, a tough heart.

"I've learned from the world championships last year that the only thing certain about certainties is that nothing's certain. But when it comes to doing it , I'm doing it.

"Talent takes you so far, and then you need to acquire experience and sometimes that means losing. People said turn professional, you are not going to do anything at the Olympics, you should take the money and run. Everyone knows I had six-figure offers to turn pro. I knew where I was going I knew where my destiny was."

On Sunday, Britain will expect, but Audley insists: "I'm a guy who can cocoon myself in my own little world, and focus on what I've got to do, that's how I get the job done. There were 10,000 people out there, but I was able to cocoon myself and the same thing will apply on Sunday.

"I've still got to get in there and do the job. I'm not afraid to go in there and exploit my opponent's weaknesses, that's why I'm successful."

Dildabekov, who eliminated the fancied Russian Alexis Rubalcaba and outpointed Rustam Saidov in his semi-final 28-22. The fact that the most crucial foe of his fighting life thrives on a big right hand over the top will not be lost on Harrison when he studies the video. end