Team GB super heavyweight Joe Joyce missed out on a gold medal in his Olympic boxing final.
The 30-year-old lost a split decision against France’s Tony Yoka and had to settle for a silver medal.
Joyce, who only took up boxing at 22, looked the stronger and more dangerous fighter throughout the three-round final.
From the first bell the 6ft 6in fighter was pounding the Frenchman with flurries of shots and kept up the relentless pace against his opponent.
Yoka was blocking some of them but Joyce looked to be landing with some success to the head an body.
His opponent was sniping back intermittently with some clever counterpunching, but Joyce appeared to be landing with a higher volume of shots – especially from close range.
At one point he looked to have Yoka rocked and he looked unsteady on his legs, but he couldn’t make it count and he was saved by the bell.
His furious pace continued into the second stanza, but the judges had Yoka ahead on points. Joyce needed a big third round to have any hope of winning Olympic gold – but despite an incessant barrage of shots his was not the arm raised in victory at the end of the fight.
“I thought that gold was mine, Joyce told the BBC’s John Inverdale after the fight, adding: “I thought all throughout the bout I was peppering him with shots.”
Anthony Joshua, who was ringside working for the BBC, also thought the Brit had won, saying: “I’ve never seen so many shots thrown by a heavyweight.
“He’s penetrating the gloves he’s penetrating the body. For me he’s Olympic champion. He’s a credit to the sport in and out of the ring.”
After the controversial decision that cut short Irish boxer Michael Conlan’s Olympic dreams of gold short, British boxing fans were not happy about the decision in Joyce’s fight, with many claiming he was robbed…
https://twitter.com/BoxingBritain1/status/767432162748534784
https://twitter.com/JulesGustine/status/767433906245267457
@JoeJoyce_1 you won that gold medal 100%…judges must've been busy counting the Euro's that the French gave them to not see that #JoeJoyce
— Lee Hayward 🇬🇧 (@LeeLeethelamb) August 21, 2016
@JoeJoyce_1 completely and utterly robbed through that last fight! Connected so many punches through his guard! You're the champ.#boxing2016
— Kyle (@Kylejohnson199) August 21, 2016
Gutted for @JoeJoyce_1 won that fight all ends up absolute travesty Olympic boxing cannot carry on with decisions like that #Rio2016
— David Tyman (@davediamondo) August 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/splitchick1966/status/767433901195362304
Joe Joyce has been mugged in Rio, by stupid judges.@JoeJoyce_1 You can hold your head high mate.
— Martin Collins (@MartinCollinsx) August 21, 2016
disgusting scoring once again, judges must have a turn in their eyes #wrongmanwinsagain
— malcolm buckley (@meb1105) August 21, 2016
https://twitter.com/FaisalRahimIV/status/767433893393948672
@anthonyfjoshua @JoeJoyce_1 beaten by a travesty of worst points scoring I've ever seen. Silver medallist Joe, but should be Gold #Rio2016
— Steve Walters 👨🦽⚓️ (@Stevie230) August 21, 2016
Joe Joyce just got robbed
— Pad Franklin (@PadFranklin) August 21, 2016
Read more:
