Event: Men’s boxing 81kg (light heavyweight)
Who is he: Irish and European champion Joe Ward is part of the eight-strong Irish boxing team over in Brazil for the next month.
Where’s he from: The hugely-talented southpaw hails from Moate, County Westmeath, and comes from a proud boxing family, which includes fellow Rio-qualified David Oliver Joyce and Beijing Olympian John Joe Joyce.
Olympic CV: This will be the 22-year-old’s first appearance at the Games.
Road to Rio: Ward qualified by reaching the final of the World Amateur Championships in Doha in October 2015, where he claimed silver after losing out to defending champion Julio La Cruz of Cuba.
When does he start? The draw hasn’t been made yet, but Ward could be in action in the preliminary round as early as Saturday, 6 August.
What he says: “In the last number of years, I’ve had my ups and downs in this game but I’ve finally reached my target of boxing at the Olympic Games.
“I’m just going to go there and give myself the best opportunity. I’ll take every fight as it comes and whatever the outcome is at the end of it, I’ll appreciate it.”
Medal chances?
Huge. As a two-time European gold medallist who has also claimed silver and bronze at the World Championships, Ward represents one of Ireland’s genuine chances of a medal.
If things go his way in Rio, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him standing up there on the podium.
Jerry Kiernan gives four out of five.
And here’s something you probably didn’t know…
Ward’s four-year-old son Joe Junior is a chip off the old block. It looks like he’s already preparing for the 2032 Olympics…
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