Ireland’s Michael Conlan appeared to comfortably beat Russian opponent Vladimir Nikitin in their Olympic bantamweight boxing quarter-final – but what followed was astonishing.
With bookmaker’s odds of 1-7 to advance to the men’s bantamweight semi-finals and secure at least a bronze medal, it wasn’t just his Irish compatriots fancying Michael Conlan to defeat Vladimir Nikitin on Tuesday in Rio.
However, despite the Irishman seemingly having the edge in an enjoyable and hard-fought first round, all three judges gave it to Nikitin.
Few people panicked, as it was a fairly tight round. But when Conlan comfortably led the second and third only for the judges to award the contest to the Russian, uproar ensued.
Not only did the crowd in attendance gasp and boo the decision, but social media blew a collective gasket fans, neutrals and media alike.
What didn’t help matters, as popular boxing site Bad Left Hook noted on Twitter, was that Nikitin arguably lost his round-of-16 fight to Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee, too.
However, the man who defeated Britain’s bantamweight hope Qais Ashfaq and boasts an Asian gold and World bronze was somehow also ruled to have lost to Russia’s representative.
After Irish boxing legend and leading medal hope Katie Taylor went out in the first bout in her Olympic title defence (which was debatable, though perhaps not as blatantly incorrect as the two Nikitin victories), it appears that the Ireland contingent and especially Conlan have had enough.
