Michael Conlan lost to Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin in a bantamweight quarterfinal match at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday, and the Irishman feels he was robbed.
When the judges awarded Nikitin the decision after the three-round bout, Conlan immediately flipped the double-bird and became furious (an unedited image can be seen here). Conlan later dropped a bunch of F-bombs in a live television interview and said several times that he was cheated.
“AIBA (world amateur boxing association) are cheats,” he said. “They’re all f—ing cheats, simple as that. I’ll never box for AIBA again. They’re cheating bastards. They’re paying everybody. I don’t give a f— that I’m cursing on TV. I was here to win Olympic gold. My dream’s been shattered now.”
Conlan later said he has a big career ahead of him and that “amateur boxing stinks from the core right to the top.” He added that he feels he is going back to Ireland a winner and that his loss to Nikitin just shows “how corrupt this organization is.”
While Conlan’s time at the Olympics didn’t end quite as painfully as this hurdler’s did, he probably isn’t the only one who feels he was cheated. We’re guessing more than a few people back in his home country will share that sentiment.