Michael Conlan’s Olympics have ended in highly controversial circumstances after he was on the wrong end of a baffling unanimous decision on Tuesday.
The Belfast bantamweight headed into his quarter-final against Vladimir Nikitin as Ireland's last boxing representative in Rio, and he comprehensively out-boxed his Russian opponent in all three rounds.
However, the judges viewed the fight differently, scoring it two rounds to one in favour of Nikitin, sparking a justifiably furious reaction from Conlan and leaving numerous figures both within and outside of boxing incredulous.
That is the best I've ever seen @mickconlan11 box and that is the worst decision I've ever seen! Complete disgrace!!!
— Tommy McCarthy (@Tommymac90) August 16, 2016
Michael Conlan irate after controversial loss. Watch here: https://t.co/Sg2KTSRTDS https://t.co/4fXhWtjbsK
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 16, 2016
This year for the Olympics, AIBA outlawed appeals. Think on that for a second.
— Kevin Byrne (@KevByrneBox) August 16, 2016
Know nothing about boxing but even I can tell @mickconlan11 was robbed there! Be proud mate, won that fight all day long
— Darren O'Dea (@odea_darren) August 16, 2016
Oh. My. Word. The boxing tournament being reduced to farce. And not for the first time.
— Ben Dirs (@bendirs1) August 16, 2016
You'll find the boxing judges in the penthouse suite, sleeping on a bed of roubles...
— Ben Dirs (@bendirs1) August 16, 2016
@AIBA_Boxing your a fucking disgrace to sport!
— Paddy Barnes (@paddyb_ireland) August 16, 2016
At least have balls and say he was robbed blind https://t.co/UGbyyND5b7
— Paddy Barnes (@paddyb_ireland) August 16, 2016
You sacrifice all your life for a dream and then have a bunch of bandits bloody snatch it away from you. Conlan was clear winner #Rio2016
— Bernard Dunne (@Bernard_Dunne) August 16, 2016
Sickening and wrong. This is a complete joke. Conan won that. #Embarrassing #Rio2016
— Bernard Dunne (@Bernard_Dunne) August 16, 2016
Hey Vlad @PutinRF_Eng
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) August 16, 2016
How much did they charge you bro?? @AIBA_Boxing #Rio2016
Conlan’s defeat followed Katie Taylor’s defeat in a split decision on Monday and a very dubious decision in the heavyweight final, which saw Russia’s Evgeny Tishchenko awarded gold ahead of Kazakhstan’s Vassiliy Levit.
