IRELAND’S JACK MARLEY has suffered a split decision defeat in his heavyweight quarter-final bout at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Tajikistan’s Davlat Boltaev won 4-1 on the judge’s scorecard.
The winner was guaranteed at least a bronze medal by progressing to the semi-finals in Paris, and Marley fell short after a gallant effort against the elusive Asian champion.
“A bitter pill to swallow,” 21-year-old Marley told RTÉ as he bowed out of his first Olympics.
“I misheard the corners. I thought I was up in the first, down in the second and I thought it was all level going into the last — and I thought I done enough there to win it.
“We won’t moan about it. It is what it is, it’s a privilege to be here on this top international stage. I’m 21 years of age, I have to pinch myself to remind me. It’s gonna be a hard one to swallow over the next few days, but… I left it all in there.”
'We won't moan about it. It's a privilege to be here on this top international stage at 21 years of age' - Jack Marley speaks after his quarter-final exit at the hands of Davlat Boltaev#RTESport #Paris2024
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 1, 2024
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Marley bounced out to the North Paris Arena, with an Irish roar behind him.
The Dubliner made a decent start, Olé olé soon ringing out. He landed two of three quick-fire left hooks at one stage, but Boltaev was more clinical as he moved through the gears.
As Marley went for the jugular, he left himself exposed and the Tajikistan capitalised.
Boltaev won the first two rounds 4-1, as per the judge’s cards.
In the second, Marley continued to work extremely hard but the number of shots not connected ultimately outweighed those landed. His flow was interrupted by a stoppage owing to a cut over his right eye with 45 seconds to go. The RTÉ commentary team said the referee said it was a punch, but it appeared to be a clash of heads.
Marley made a good start to the final round, but Boltaev again showed his class as he proved elusive. The Sallynoggin man gave it everything, and the judge’s cards were 3-2 in his favour for round three.
Ultimately, it ended in disappointment following his round-of-16 win over Poland’s Mateusz Bereznick.
“It feels a bit weird,” Marley added on becoming an Olympian, though he wouldn’t be drawn on plans for LA 2026.
“I wasn’t overwhelmed. I probably built it up a bit too much in my head because I qualified a year before, so I had plenty of time to be imagining it. I really adapted well, enjoyed it, and losing to the Asian champion on such tight margins, it is what it is.”
Gonna be a big star in the future,acquitted himself very well for a 21year old.just came up against a better competitor tonight
Great effort from Jack but the better man won. As an aside, how did the referee judge that the cut was from a punch? Replays clearly showed it was a clash of heads.
@Ian Cunningham: The judge called it as a clash of heads. That’s why he stopped the clock to allow attention… if it was from a punch he would have had to count him down or box on!
@Paul Ennis: not what the commentary team I was watching said, and banging 2 fists together is a strange sign for clash of heads.
@Ian Cunningham: Hardly going to bang two heads together, is he.
A fine performance v a very classy fighter
Robbed again!! Throw them out.
@Ray Ridge: Lol. Abandon Olympics altogether… it’s corrupt all the way from the top to the bottom
@WqM9AAv3: True. Even the Korean judge thought marley won that!!
@Ray Ridge: he wasn’t better boxer
@Ray Ridge: The Tajikistan guy was slick, you don’t watch much boxing Ray, do you watch much sport at all?
@orb7eckn: Sarcasm Joe, Sarcasm. Far too slick. How the Korean thought Marley won it is beyond me.
@Ray Ridge: we’ve seen a few judges like the Korean fella. I dunno where they get them from cos it doesn’t seem to be from boxing clubs
@Ray Ridge: why is it that you never and I mean NEVER comment on an irish athlete that wins a fight/match/race. You always and I mean ALWAYS (see what I did there) comment on an Irish loss. I didn’t see you comment on the rowers winning a bronze this morning or Harrington winning her QF to name a few. But jeez we lose, and you’re all over it. Marley lost tonight and rightly so ( no argument) but hes only 21 and should be around for next two olympics. But the disgracful decision earlier with Moorehouse was a joke. As was yesterday’s decision with aoife o’rourke.
Please let us know what your obsession with failure is. Are you even irish? An as Gaillimh thú ar chor ar bith? would love to know your sporting pedigree (besides professional gambling)
Fought well but was vary naive in his approach as he went for the big punches and allowed the opponent to score with soft punches.