“Nobody can tell me that this fight Katie lost. Then I have no experience and I don’t know boxing.”
Ireland’s head boxing coach Zaur Antia knows boxing, but he has probably never known a boxing competition like this Olympic Games. Michael Conlan is the only Irish boxer still in contention for a medal following Monday’s shock defeat for London 2012 gold medallist Katie Taylor.
The Bray boxer was beaten on split decision by 35-year-old Mira Potkonen from Finland in the quarter-finals of the women’s lightweight division.
Katie Taylor's defeat at the Olympics broke everyone's heart but she'll always be a legend https://t.co/uGpHkgAfoU
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 15, 2016
However the highly-rated Antia, who is leading Ireland into their first Olympics since the departure of Billy Walsh, could not accept the decision. Speaking to RTÉ Sport after the fight, the Georgian was in no doubt that Taylor won.
“She was for three rounds chasing her, why didn’t she get those rounds? They want domination they call, ‘domination!’. Boxing is hit, don’t get hit, Katie hit more. Two times more than she got back. What more can she do?
“She did not lose fight, that’s it,” added Antia. “She can’t kill that girl she is a good boxer, a tough fighter. Every fight will be very close, but you have to take what you deserve.”
Zar Antia not happy with the refereeing after Katie Taylor's exit https://t.co/8u9snqDbrQ
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 15, 2016
Coming on the back of tough decisions against Joe Ward and Stephen Donnelly, Antia was incapable of hiding his frustration.
