Tokyo 2020: Aidan Walsh’s quest for more glory was ended by ankle fracture

Unlucky injury sustained when celebrating his bronze medal with a victory leap

Aidan Walsh poses with his bronze medal during the victory ceremony at   Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. Photograph: Luis Robayo/Pool/Getty Images
Aidan Walsh poses with his bronze medal during the victory ceremony at Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. Photograph: Luis Robayo/Pool/Getty Images

It was confirmed at the medal ceremony for Aidan Walsh that the Irish welterweight sustained a fracture in his ankle when he celebrated his bronze medal win last week.

Walsh jumped in the air when the result was announced that he had won and landed awkwardly, twisting his ankle on impact. The injury kept him out of his silver medal bout with Britain’s Pat McCormack. Walsh withdrew before the semi-final as he was is no physical condition to box.

“It was just one of those things,” said Walsh. “But when I got back to the changing room . . . we tried to do everything we could to fight but Bernard [Dunne, high performance director] came to me at the last minute and said it was physically impossible to fight and that was it, really.

“So, we just regrouped and I came here today to get my medal, and it’s amazing.”

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Ligaments, Walsh was asked? “It’s a fracture,” replied the 24-year-old.

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times