Following in the footsteps of teammate and Athens Olympian Joel Brunker, Boyd powered his way into the Olympic team with a series of dominant displays in defending his Oceania bantamweight (54kg) title in the Samoan capital of Apia on the weekend.

But fellow Richmond boxer David Pisani’s brave Olympic bid came to an end when he was beaten in the semi finals of the light flyweight division by countryman Kyle Freiberg 15-6 in a bout that was closer than the scoreboard indicated, handing him a bronze medal.

Boyd, who made the second round of the World Championships late last year, comprehensively destroyed three opponents in three days to win the Oceania title and earn his position as one of nine Australian boxers that will fight in the Chinese capital in August.

And Boxing Australia officials rate him as a big chance of securing a medal.

Boyd beat Papua New Guinean Eugene Keto in the final with a third round mercy rule stoppage, invoked when a boxer takes a 20-point lead under the International Boxing Association’s Amateur rules.

The win came after he easily handled fellow Aussie Nathan Di Carlo 23-7 in the semi after a first round mercy rule destruction of Tahitian Marescot Hoani.

“It’s fantastic to have another Olympian to come out of the Richmond club,” Boyd’s delighted coach John Barber said.

“He’s been at the AIS for a year now but he did his training at Richmond to achieve that level to get a scholarship.

“I’m proud of what’s happened, to first have Joel and now Luke, and I hope in the future we’ll get a few more.

“It feels fantastic [to coach a second Olympian], it makes me proud, sometimes I consider walking away from boxing with the heartaches and politics that are involved.

“But when I see how these kids benefit from it – and it benefits the community by having an Olympian as well, it shows others what they can achieve and that it’s not an impossible task to get there because their gymmates have done it– it puts a real lift on the boys I have here.”

Australia took nine of the 11 Olympic spots available to Oceanian boxers, with Samoa and PNG claiming the other two, and only Freiberg losing a final to a non-Aussie opponent.

While Boyd is the first Hawkesbury athlete to make the Olympic team, swimmers Peter Leek and Sian Lucas have already qualified for the Paralympics to be held a fortnight later.