MEDAL hope Aoife O’Rourke was left stunned by defeat to Pole Elzbieta Wojcik,
O’Rourke is a three-time European champion who was the second seed in the middleweight division.
But she was beaten on a split decision despite Wojcik have a point deducted in the first round for holding in what turned out to be a brawl.
Each fighter had the backing of two judges with the fifth, a Canadian, scoring it a draw before picking the Pole as a winner.
Despite the result being an upset, O’Rourke insisted she was not surprised by Wojcik’s approach or her capability.
O’Rourke said: “She only had one of two options. She was either going to come at me like a bull or she was going to stand her ground in the middle of the ring.
“And, from the get-go, she came out.
“But that’s it, you’re at an Olympic Games, you’re going to come out full-steam ahead, take no chances, and that’s what she did.”
Since her exit in the round of 16 at the Tokyo Games, O’Rourke had won 27 bouts and lost just one, in the opening round of the 2022 World Championships.
But, despite that pedigree, she was frustrated by her opponent’s spoiling tactics which saw her penalised in the opening round which the Castlerea fighter would have won anyway.
O’Rourke said: “There was a lot of holding and that. Look it, that’s part of it. Maybe I should have been quicker getting out and what-not.
“It is what it is and I wish her the best of luck going forward.
“We’ve met on numerous occasions and it’s always been a battle and I definitely didn’t underestimate her one bit when I was drawn against her again.
“Fair play to her, she stepped it up again, it came down to the wire and well done to her.”
Asked if she could have done anything differently to counteract Wojcik she said: “I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it yet.
“Look, I’m very disappointed, she set the pace and the intensity from the get-go. It was a battle the whole way through.
“I honestly think I gave it my best.”
Her loss means six of Ireland’s eight boxers in action so far have been beaten with Daina Moorehouse and Michaela Walsh still waiting for their first bout.
MIXED BAG
But Jude Gallagher had a more upbeat take on his defeat to Carlo Paalam compared to O’Rouke’s devastation.
He is already eyeing up Los Angeles after becoming the second Irish boxer to lose to Paalam at an Olympics.
The Filipino defeated Brendan Irvine en route to silver in Tokyo and Gallagher fared no better here against a man known as The Tin-Can Crusher, his previous job.
He dropped a unanimous decision and, whilst he might have been aggrieved to see all five judges give the second round to his opponent, he had no real complaints.
The Tyrone man said: “It’s tough. But look here this is where I wanted to be, sharing the ring with the best in the world, a Tokyo silver medalist.
“So I’m grateful it happened to be honest with you.
“I thought the fight was closer than what the scorecards made it out to be, but I’ve no complaints.
“It’s hard to know when you’re in there. I knew the fight was tight, I knew I wasn’t getting it all my own way, that’s what happens at this level. You just have to deal with it, bounce back stronger, and I will.
“It’s been an incredible experience.
“I got in here today and gave it my best. I can leave with my head held high.
“I’m only 22 so in four years’ time I’ll be a much different boxer, I’ll only grow from this. I’ll go on now and set my sights on LA, I’ll be peaking come 26, 27, I’ll be a different boxer.”