DAVID OLIVER JOYCE BOWS OUT AT RIO 2016

David Olive Joyce showing the scars of battle tonight

David Olive Joyce showing the scars of battle tonight.

David Oliver Joyce bowed out of the 2016 Olympics at the last 16 stage on a unanimous decision to Azerbaijan’s Albert Selimov in Rio tonight.The slick Azeri southpaw earned a 29-28 unanimous decision across the board against the St Michael’s Athy BC lightweight over three, three minute rounds.

Joyce,with Selimov,the 2007 World Elite champion, boxing fluently off the back foot and showcasing excellent footwork, lost the first round on all cards, although Joyce did detonate a number of big shots in the latter half of the frame.

Joyce had a better second, but Selimov’s trademark left uppercut was finding its way through his tight guard.The current EU champion, a trickle of blood from over his right eye apparent,had a particularly good spell mid-way through the second with a cluster of combinations.

One judge went with the Irishman from that stanza, but he was left with a massive task in the third. One big shot could have unravelled all of Selimov’s slickness, and Joyce, walking down his opponent at every opportunity, won the third on two cards, but the evasive No. 2 seed wisely stayed out of the big exchanges and had enough in the bank to advance to within one win of at least bronze.

A massive effort from Joyce against a genuinely world class opponent. Leaving everything in the ring is the oldest cliché in the boxing book, but that’s exactly what the Irish Elite champion, who won on his Olympic debut on Sunday, did at the Pavilion 6 venue in Rio this evening.

“He’s a really good guy, congratulations to him, said Joyce.“I knew getting in here tonight that it was going to be really tough.I had to be on the top of my game for him.

“Unfortunately, I came out on the wrong side of it. That’s the way it goes,” added the St Michael’s Athy man, who is tipping the Azeri to go all the way.

“He’ll go on and I’m sure he’ll get an Olympic gold medal,” he predicted.

David Oliver Joyce (red) v Albert Selimov - Rio 2016

David Oliver Joyce (red) v Albert Selimov – Rio 2016

Meanwhile, Joe Ward is in action tomorrow night.

The No. 4 seed meets Ecuadorian light-heavy Carlos Andreas Mina at approximately 11:15pm (Irish time) tomorrow evening.

The experienced Mina, who has 211 bouts under his belt, booked a ticket for Rio after finishing in 1st place in the Americas qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina earlier this year.

An orthodox, the 24-year-old Quito-native has one notable victory under his belt. He beat Cuba’s Julio De La Cruz, the No. 1 seed in the light-heavy class in Rio, on a split decision in the World Series of Boxing last year, a five round fight as opposed to three rounds in Olympic boxing.

Ward, the current European Elite champion, qualified for Rio after reaching the 81kg World Elite final in Doha, Qatar last year.

Irish Draw Rio Olympics

August 7th (last 32)

60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Andrique Allisop (Seychelles) 3-0
69kg Steven Donnelly (Ireland) beat Zahir Kedache (Algeria) 3-0

August 8th (last 16)
49kg Paddy Barnes (Ireland) lost to Samuel Carmona (Spain) 1-2

August 9th (last 16)
60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) lost to Albert Selimov (Azerbaijan) 0-3

August 10th (last 16)
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Carlos Andreas Mina (Ecuador)

August 11th (last 16)
69kg Steven Donnelly (Ireland) v Tuvshinbat Byamba (Mongolia)

August 12th (last 16)
75kg Michael O’Reilly (Ireland) lost to Uziel Rodriquez (Mexico) W/O

August 13th (last 32)
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan)

August 14th (last 16)
56kg Michael Conlan (Ireland) v Aram Avagyan (Armenia) or Arashi Mariska (Japan)

August 15th (Q/Finals)
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Mira Potkonen (Finland) or Adriana Araujo (Brazil)

Irish squad

Women
60kg (Lightweight) – Katie Taylor (Bray)

Men
49kg (Light-flyweight) – Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
52kg (Flyweight) – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
56kg (Bantamweight) – Michael Conlan (Clonard)
60kg (Lightweight) – David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy & AIBA Pro Boxing)
69kg (Welterweight) – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)
75kg (Middleweight) – Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise)
81kg (Light-heavyweight) – Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)

Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, John Conlan
Physio: Julianne Ryan
Sport Psychologist: Gerry Hussey