Britain's boxing team, already reeling from the withdrawal of world champion Frankie Gavin, were today dealt a new blow with a nightmare draw for the preliminary bouts.

As UK Sport and the Amateur Boxing Association announced inquiries into the debacle over the failure of gold medal prospect Gavin to make the lightweight limit, it emerged that David Price, James DeGale and Bradley Saunders will have to box at their best if they are to realise medal dreams.

Team captain Price could not have been given a harder start to the super-heavyweight competition after drawing Russia's European champion and world No1 Islam Timurziev in the first round.

London middleweight DeGale will open the British challenge tomorrow against Mohamed Hikal, of Egypt, a former Africa continent titleholder. And if he comes through that unscathed will almost certainly have to beat Russia's two-times world champion Matvey Korobov in order to medal.

Light-welterweight Bradley Saunders opens against Ghana's Samuel Kotey but could meet European champion Boris Georgiev of Bulgaria in the quarter-final.

Tony Jeffries starts with a bye in the lightheavyweight class but if he gets past Colombia's Pan-American champion Eleider Alvarez in the second round, is likely to face classy Hungarian Imre Szello for at least a bronze.

Flyweight Khalid Yafai also has a bye followed by a second round meeting with top Cuban Andry Laffita, while welterweight Billy Joe Saunders starts against Turkey's world No3 Adem Kilicci, with another Cuban waiting in round two.

Head coach Terry Edwards admitted: "It's an unseeded draw and it has not been kind for us. All the team have proved they can beat the best in the world, and they will have to do it again.

"The draw looks okay for Bradley Saunders and Tony Jeffries, but otherwise it is very tough. David Price is on good form at the moment but I certainly wouldn't have chosen for him to meet the Russian in his first fight."

Edwards' role in how Gavin had to pull out after being three pounds overweight for his lightweight category will be examined closely by the ABA whose chief executive, Paul King, confirmed: "We will launch an internal investigation into the circumstances leading up to this withdrawal.

"It is a massive blow to our gold medal hopes, and to our essential UK Sport and lottery funding."

However, Edwards' decision to withdraw Gavin for fear that any further attempt to make the weight might have damaged his health were justified when an American boxer was this morning found unconscious in his bed suffering from severe dehydration. Gary Russell Jnr, one of the favourites to medal in the bantamweight division, was revived by medical personnel and is not thought to be in any danger.

But, like Gavin, he is out of the Olympics.

US coach Dan Campbell said: "We became alarmed a couple of days ago when we saw Gary wasn't sweating like he should.

"When these kids try to make the weight, sometimes they cut corners. What we believe is he did not increase his fluid intake after we told him to."