Hours have passed and it still it’s hard to comprehend.
Michael Conlan is out of the Olympic Games and Ireland will depart Rio without a single boxing medal.
While there are numerous reasons for Ireland’s disappointing performance in the ring, and the inquest will follow in the weeks and months ahead, it is Conlan’s defeat that will live longest in the memory.
Michael Conlan speaks to @dionfanning about the devastating effects of today's injustice https://t.co/MlBDJ8U2kk #Rio2016
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 16, 2016
This is Ireland’s Roy Jones Jnr moment and it will rankle with us for just as long as that injustice in Seoul ’88 stayed with the Americans.
The Olympics is a time when all countries become very insular, but Conlan’s defeat left an extremely sour taste everywhere, not least on the BBC where ex-fighter Richie Woodhall was almost as angry as anyone in Ireland at the result.
The much-maligned John Inverdale teed up Woodhall by speculating about the agenda that might be present ringside when you see a result like this.
Woodhall took the cue and ran with it.
“I’m speechless, John, I really am. At the end of the first round, for me, Michael Conlan had a perfect round. It was a great exhibition of hitting and moving and not getting hit… but the scores at the end of the first round just spelt out what was to come.
“And there again in that last round, he really dug in deep did Conlan. It was a dominant round for me, it’s not a close contest. I’m really, really surprised.
“The heartbreaking this is, obviously for the Irish champ, but for AIBA Olympic boxing you’re going to lose that kid now because he’ll turn professional. He’s going to say ‘ you’ve just robbed me of a potential gold medal’.
“We’ll lose that lad no to the professional game and that’s a crying shame because for me Conlan deserved to win that fight.”
The whole section is well worth a listen.
