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Aoife O'Rourke in action against Poland’s Elzibeth Wojcik. James Crombie/INPHO

'I'm so disappointed' - Aoife O'Rourke bows out of Olympics following split decision defeat

It was a 3-2 split decision in favour of Poland’s Elzbieta Wojcik.

AOIFE O’ROURKE HAS bowed out of the Paris Olympics following a split decision defeat in her last 16 bout against Poland’s Elzbieta Wojcik in the Women’s 57kg.

It was a cagey fight where the Polish fighter was warned repeatedly for holding, and while it looked as though the Castlrea native landed enough decisive blows to progress, it was the woman in the red corner who prevailed with the 3-2 split decision.

The Korean and American judges ruled in Wojcik’s favour in every round while the Dutch judge gave every round to O’Rourke. The Hungarian judge awarded two of the rounds to O’Rourke and one to the Pole. The Canadian favoured Wojcik with their card reading 28-28.

Wojcik was guilty of holding throughout the fight, and was deducted a point in the first round. However, she continued to commit the foul but was not penalised again.

“I don’t know what to say, I’m so disappointed,” O’Rourke told RTÉ Sport after the fight.

“I’ve let myself down, the coaches down, all the supporters. I came out and gave it my best. That’s all I can ask of myself.

“She’s a brilliant opponent. It’s not our first time to meet. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy battle and fair play to her. I hope she continues on in the competition.”

When asked if she was frustrated by her opponent’s persistent holding in the fight, O’Rourke replied:

“It gets frustrating but there’s not a lot I can do. It is what it is”

O’Rourke was considered a strong medal prospect going into these Games, but will exit the Olympics now after a controversial result.

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    Mute Ian Cunningham
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:21 PM

    Daylight robbery!

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    Mute sean murphy
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:27 PM

    Terrible decision.

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    Mute Dave Harris
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:29 PM

    As bad a decision as you’ll ever see.

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    Mute Gary O Sullivan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:35 PM

    Consistently warned for holding and no penalty against. Unbelievable !!!!!

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:46 PM

    @Gary O Sullivan: He deducted one point in the first round.

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    Mute Me O'Sullivan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:37 PM

    The Pole was trying to will a miracle from the judges at the end, and she got it somehow. Maybe all her theatrics and holding got her points. Terrible decision

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    Mute Joe O'Regan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:41 PM

    Very disappointing. Hard luck to her. She was very gracious in defeat even though she is completely heartbroken by it. She didn’t let herself or her country down. We are proud of all the great athletes representing us over in France.

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:44 PM

    Absolute joke. Ciara boxed while the polish girl did a version of MMA fully indulged by the referee. On 10 (ten, I was counting) separate occasions he warned her for holding, only deducted a single point. He also repeatedly warned her for slapping, butting, pushing and falling to break.
    Even so Ciara clearly won the fight.
    Neither referee nor judges should get near a boxing match again.

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    Mute sean murphy
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:47 PM

    @Bert Carolan: who’s Ciara?

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:49 PM

    @sean murphy: Sorry Sean Aoife.
    Jeez I’m annoyed after that.

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    Mute Martin F
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:43 PM

    Disgraceful result and performance from ref. Maybe Irish boxers are too honest and not willing to use dirty tricks to win

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    Mute Kevin Leen
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:01 PM

    The result was a travesty, one boxed and played by the rules, the other pushed, shoved, held, slapped. How can that be anything other than an O’Rourke win? How is that in the spirit of the Olympics?

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    Mute Picky Person
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:33 PM

    Disgraceful.

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    Mute Square
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:34 PM

    Discusting she won that

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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:33 PM

    I have to say I’m not a boxing expert but anyone in the world who thinks boxing judges aren’t the most corrupt bunch of Muppets I give up this was a set up the ref kept saying stop holding yet failed in the second round to warn her again.
    The Canadian judge needs to be removed. Shocking stuff

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    Mute john kenny
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    Jul 31st 2024, 11:04 PM

    @Tim Brennan: Canadians should be removed in full.

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    Mute Michael Corkery
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    Aug 1st 2024, 7:34 AM

    @Tim Brennan: boxing + Canadian = cheating for sure

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:15 PM

    Just after watching the fight there. This was a scrap fought on the polish Boxers’ terms. All the big punches were thrown by the pole. Aoife was out foxed. Both boxers guilty of holding. Split decision in favour of the pole, probably the fairest result. Very gracious interview from Aoife, admitted she was 2nd best tonight.

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:18 PM

    @Ray Ridge: Ah now Ray. You’re on a wind up. I for one not biting.

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    Mute Square
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:24 PM

    @Ray Ridge: comedian

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    Mute Lochlainn Garvey
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:25 PM

    @Ray Ridge: I think you have a strange obsession with putting Irish teams and athletes down. Your previous comment is probably the reason you’ve come up with this, justification for an unfounded summary, and it seems as though you still haven’t watched the fight. Aoife boxed rings around her, fought in the Olympic spirit, and was not as you strangely say similarly guilty of holding. This is a Conlon style decision, nothing else.

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:27 PM

    @Bert Carolan: Seriously, Bert. 3/2 either way at best. I thought she had put the pole on her arse 3 times or something after reading the comments on here. Scrappy fight, no doubt. Didn’t suit Aoife. Conlon defeat in Brazil was it, now that was in the daylight robbery category. This was a 50/50 decision which went against Aoife nothing more, nothing less.

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:32 PM

    @Ray Ridge: Aoife won that fight and would have won it clearer had the referee done his job. If you thought otherwise fair enough and I’ll never resort to insults when someone’s opinion doesn’t match mine.
    All I’ll say is that it’s an awful way to exit the Olympics having put so much effort in for years.

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:38 PM

    And another one bites the dust. This is not good, folks. Didn’t see fight, I’ll watch later.

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    Mute Bert Carolan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:45 PM

    @Ray Ridge: Watch the fight before you comment Ray. Seriously.

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    Mute Comeonyouknow
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:48 PM

    @Ray Ridge: sausage comment

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    Mute Ray Ridge
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    Jul 31st 2024, 9:49 PM

    @Bert Carolan: That’s what I said, I didn’t see the fight yet. Me watching it isn’t going to change the result unfortunately. She’s out.

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    Mute Tim Brennan
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    Jul 31st 2024, 10:33 PM

    @Ray Ridge: don’t bother it will raise your blood pressure

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    Mute David Roche
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    Aug 1st 2024, 8:32 AM

    It is results like that which will eventually get boxing dropped from the Olympics. And that would be a crying shame for us and the boxers. Sad

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    Mute Leighton Cullen
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    Jul 31st 2024, 11:58 PM

    Olympic boxing refs are so hit and miss. Same with the judges. The Polish girl for continuing to foul should of been docked another point. If she was it’s a different fight and a different result. We had this last Olympics with Conlan getting robbed. Same with Walsh earlier in the week that was a strange scoring fight the second round the French guy landed 1 punch and got that round changing the course of the fight. I be interested to see the scoring for the remaining fighters to come. Still think from the boxers we could get 3 medals be tough but it’s doable still.

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    Mute Michael Corkery
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    Aug 1st 2024, 7:39 AM

    @Leighton Cullen: I don’t like sports where it comes down to the interpretation of some fairly dubious characters, which I think is something we can say fairly about boxing judges considering their inglorious history in the Olympics. The sooner they come up with some AI assisted method of scoring/ reffing the better for the support. Corruption is still rife it seems

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