Aidan Walsh, a bronze medallist from Tokyo, became the second boxer from Ireland to be eliminated from the Olympic draw after his initial bout, following Dean Clancy. The southpaw from Belfast suffered a defeat by 4-0 on points to Makam Traore, a Frenchman, amid a biased crowd at the 5,000-capacity North Paris Arena. Korean official Jongin Kim warned and deducted a point from Walsh for excessive holding.
Walsh had a resounding first-round victory according to all judges’ scores, leaving him confused when the second round was scored 4-1 against him. The point deduction occurred in the third round, leading to Traore being declared the winner with scores of 29-27, 29-27, 28-28, 29-27, 29-27.
During a rather cautious match, the referee encouraged more engagement between the fighters. While the audience remained relatively calm during the first round, the atmosphere escalated from the second round onwards, with every blow from Traore meeting with cheers, culminating in a vibrant third round.
“I was stunned to hear the scores. I was just satisfied with how I performed. Yes, I was warned for holding,” Walsh acknowledged, “This has been an ongoing issue for some time now, however, I’ve always used the hit-and-hold technique throughout my career. Recently, though, it appears to be more frowned upon. Usually, one is allowed three or four warnings before receiving a formal one. I’m at a loss.”
The Irish light heavyweight focused on scoring singular points, avoiding brawls and maintaining a distance throughout the match, methodically gathering points and evading his opponent. This approach seemed effective in the first three minutes, during which the referee urged them to engage more. However, the tide turned in the second round, with the judges favouring the French boxer 4-1.
The 27-year-old stated, “I was rather uncertain. It seemed to me that if you triumph in the first round convincingly and maintain your momentum, the second round should follow suit.”
During the third round, he was cautioned and docked a point, causing the match to skew away from him. Nevertheless, he persistently competed using his unique southpaw style, scoring and manoeuvring, leading to a 28-28 duel according to the German umpire, while the remaining four leaned in favour of Traore.
He candidly remarked, “Honestly, I hold no regrets. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be present. That’s been my sentiment all through. Racing for a medal hasn’t been my motive—rather, I’ve aimed to relish the journey. I’ve taken great pleasure in the initial week in the Olympic village, which by far surpasses my previous experience in the Tokyo Olympics.”
He concluded, “To participate here is a wonderful honour. I gave it my all today, yet it wasn’t sufficient.”