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.
A devastated Aoife O'Rourke reacts to her split decision defeat against Elzbieta Wojcik of Poland#RTESport #Paris2024
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 31, 2024
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“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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Daylight robbery!
Terrible decision.
As bad a decision as you’ll ever see.
Consistently warned for holding and no penalty against. Unbelievable !!!!!
@Gary O Sullivan: He deducted one point in the first round.
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
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.
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.
@Bert Carolan: who’s Ciara?
@sean murphy: Sorry Sean Aoife.
Jeez I’m annoyed after that.
Disgraceful result and performance from ref. Maybe Irish boxers are too honest and not willing to use dirty tricks to win
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?
Disgraceful.
Discusting she won that
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
@Tim Brennan: Canadians should be removed in full.
@Tim Brennan: boxing + Canadian = cheating for sure
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.
@Ray Ridge: Ah now Ray. You’re on a wind up. I for one not biting.
@Ray Ridge: comedian
@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.
@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.
@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.
And another one bites the dust. This is not good, folks. Didn’t see fight, I’ll watch later.
@Ray Ridge: Watch the fight before you comment Ray. Seriously.
@Ray Ridge: sausage comment
@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.
@Ray Ridge: don’t bother it will raise your blood pressure
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
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.
@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