Team Ireland will formally bid farewell to Rio 2016 at tonight’s official closing ceremony at the Maracana Stadium.
The ceremony, scheduled for midnight this evening Irish time,culminates with the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
The Olympic flag will also be handed over to a representative from Tokyo,host city for the 2020 Games.
Four boxing finals are rostered for decision this evening.The heavy artillery will bring the curtain down on the tournament, with big Joe Joyce of Team GB and Tony Yoka of France slated to rumble for 91+kg gold.
The Joyce versus Yoka super-heavy decider is the 273rd and final bout of the boxing event at the 31st Olympiad.
Yoka beat Joyce on a unanimous decision in the semi-finals of the World Elite Championships in Qatar last year, a few months after Joyce beat the French puncher on a unanimous verdict in the semi-finals of the inaugural European Games in Baku,Azerbaijan.
London-native Joyce,who dropped a points decision to Ireland’s Sean Turner in the Haringey Cup in England in 2011,won European Games gold in Baku.
Boxing2016 – Rio2016 Olympic Games Day16 Schedule
Team Ireland are scheduled to arrive home from Rio on Wednesday next, August 24th, at 17.10 to Terminal One, Dublin Airport on Flight LH 980.
The Team Ireland squad will include athletes from boxing, sailing, hockey and other sports.
B O’Neill