Rosie Eccles and Charlie Davison were eliminated after suffering split decision losses in the opening bouts of their respective divisions, while Delicious Ollie, Pat Brown, Lewis Richardson and Chantelle Reid complete Team Britain's boxing line-up in Paris.
Sunday 28 July 2024, 21:20, UK
Great Britain's Rosie Eccles was in tears after her controversial defeat to Poland's Agnieta Rygielska and said she was “absolutely shocked”.
The Welsh boxer, who missed the Tokyo Olympics three years ago because of illness and injury, was booed and jeered at the North Paris Arena as she was defeated in the women's 66kg by a 3-2 split decision.
Rygielska was deducted a point for holding, and the Canadian judges awarded the victory to Eccles by four points.
The 26-year-old's defeat came less than 24 hours after his British teammate Charlie Davison suffered a controversial points loss to Turkey's Hatice Akbas in their bantamweight opening bout.
“A boxer knows if he's won the fight or not,” Eccles said at ringside, fighting back tears. “I knew I won the fight so it's a total shock. Right now I feel like I'm living a dream, but it's not a good dream.”
“I'm even more disappointed now that points were deducted for spoilers. I don't know what to say other than I'm so grateful to everyone who's helped get me to this point.”
Sky Sports News The British team could not be reached for comment but are understood to be furious at the two decisions which have ended the Olympic ambitions of two of their boxers.
Eccles added: “I've dedicated my whole life to winning an Olympic gold medal, and hopefully I can go home with at least an Olympic medal. I'd be really proud and I wanted to share it with all the people who've brought me this far.”
Cruiserweight contender Vidal Riley says Delicious Ollie is definitely a player to watch in Team GB's Olympic boxing squad.
“Then yesterday my poor teammate Charlie Davison went through the same thing. She went through the same thing. Neither of us had a very good time.”
Davison lost a split decision to former world champion Akbas on the first day, but despite a slow start he felt he did enough to win the bout.
“The first round was fair enough and I beat her,” Davison admitted. “I started slow and then I got some momentum towards the end but it wasn't enough.”
“In the second and third rounds, I stepped up the pressure, landed punches and scored points. What more could I have done? I was catching her every time. She's a smart boxer and I got the win in the end.”
Which boxers from the British team remain in Paris?
Heavyweight Pat Brown began his Olympic campaign on Sunday night against Brazil's Keno Marley Machado but was eliminated early in a 4-1 loss.
“It just didn't work out,” Brown admitted. “He's a good hitter and has a lot of experience. I think that might have been the difference between winning and losing. I caught him a little bit in the last round, but it wasn't enough.”
“It was my first real major tournament. It had that big event feel to it, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it and enjoyed every moment of it.”
Olympic hopeful Pat Brown cites Ricky Hatton as his role model and hopes to become a player like him when he grows up.
Super heavyweight Delicious Olier will face former world silver medallist Davit Kaloyan on Monday night.
Middleweight Chantelle Reid will face 2023 world champion Mordija Mardi on Wednesday, while light middleweight Lewis Richardson will face Serbia's Vahid Abbasov in a round of 16 clash the same evening.
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