Mother's pride at historic triumph

The mother of Nicola Adams has spoken of her pride in her daughter, who has made history by becoming the first women's Olympic boxing champion.

Her ecstatic mother Dee, 52, and brother Kurtis, 24, were never in doubt that she would win gold against arch-rival China's Cancan Ren, but having a history-maker in the family has still not sunk in.

"I am absolutely proud. Words just cannot describe it," Mrs Adams said after the flyweight victory at London's ExCeL arena.

"There were 10,000 people there, no empty seats and to hear people screaming and roaring her name - I just thought they have all come to see her - how fabulous is that? It is a feeling that will definitely stay with me, absolutely."

Mr Adams said: "The women have laid the foundations and now when women's boxing picks up, which I am certain it will do, people will want to come and watch it.

"It is one thing to watch it on TV but when you are sitting there (in the arena) and everyone is cheering and screaming, it is overwhelming.

"There was so much support that I think there was more support for the women (boxers) than the men."

The Leeds flyweight won by 16-7 to win gold in front of a crowd that included the Duchess of Cambridge and five-time Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave.

This is the first time that women's boxing has been held in the Olympics and the gold medal is "a dream come true", Mr Adams said.

He said: "I am really excited, I am overwhelmed.

"To be fair, she totally outclassed the girl. We did not have any doubts that she would come away with a gold medal but the manner that she did it at the end was really great. Then she had the little Ali shuffle on the end.

"It has been her signature all the way through."

Mr Adams hopes that more will be done in schools to help youngsters focus on sport.

He said: "I do not know if there is enough done at the moment for kids in primary schools particularly - maybe a couple of hours a week.

"If they were to do more funding and more PE, I think there would be even more champions than there are now.

"The tally is rising in terms of gold medals but I think we could overtake China and the Americans. They are the dominant ones (now) but why can't we do it?"

Adams, known as the friendly face of boxing, is focused and determined in the ring and is usually beaming a dazzling smile when she is outside of it.

After she won a place in the historic first Olympic women's boxing final, Adams beamed and said she just wanted to make her mother proud, along with her family and the rest of the country.

Adams is one of the 36 female fighters competing at London 2012.

Women's boxing was included in London 2012 after the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) executive board ruled in August 2009 that boxing would no longer be a male-only event from the London Games.

Women are fighting at the flyweight 48-51kg, lightweight 56-60kg and middleweight 69-75kg divisions at London 2012.

Adams was the last of the three British female fighters who were picked through a gruelling qualification process for the Games.

Britain's other boxers, lightweight Natasha Jonas and middleweight Savannah Marshall, did not progress past the quarter-finals.