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"I want to see justice done" - Conlan reacts to McLaren Rio boxing report


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Michael Conlan says justice needs to be done regarding the suspicious fights at the Rio Olympics. 

A report from Professor Richard McLaren found that eleven bouts at the 2016 Games had suspect results.

One of those was Michael Conlan's split decision defeat to the Russian, Vladimir Nikitin in the quarter-finals of the bantamweight division.

McLaren's report found that, "A system for the manipulation of bouts by officials existed at Rio.

"The seeds of this were sown years before starting from at least the Olympic Games of the twenty-first century through the events around 2011 and London 2012."

Conlan turned professional shortly after Rio, but the Olympic chapter still rankles with him.

"This is big. This is really big," he told Sky Sports.

"I've known from that day that there was genuine corruption going on. The whole team were told 'try and get help' and stuff before the fight.

"I knew there was [corruption], but I never thought it would come out like this."

Conlan's fight with Nikitin was a close one, but only one judge out of five scored it in the Belfast native's favour.

The McLaren report found that, "Four judges would be required to vote in favour of a particular boxer in order to ensure that he/she was the winner.

“This was the case in the Conlan fight, and may indicate that the result had been predetermined.”

The 28-year old wants to see the wrongs righted, but not only for him.

Great Britain's Joe Joyce suffered a surprise defeat to Tony Yoka of France in the super-heavyweight final, another which is flagged as suspicious.

"I want to see justice done, and for me justice is the people who should have won get their victories counted. Whether that's not for a medal, for a medal," Conlan said.

"I know there was the Olympic final which was Joe Joyce... he lost an Olympic final and it was definitely a bit of corruption going in there, in my opinion. I think he should get his gold medal.

"I definitely think I should be upgraded to the bronze medal, which I was fighting for."

Conlan was a bronze medalist at London 2012, and went into the Rio games as reigning world and European champion.

However, the controversial loss to Nikitin cost him his Olympic dream.

Conlan told Sky, "I was going into the Games as gold medal favourite, world champion and with 100 per cent belief I was going to take home gold. And I believe I would have.

"I could have went pro four years earlier and been on this journey much quicker than I am now. But I stayed around and aimed to get that gold medal as I believed I would be Olympic champion.

"It was my only dream really as a fighter, from when I started boxing. Once that was ripped away from me - it's a bit corny - but a bit of me was ripped away."

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AIBA Boxing Corruption Michael Conlan Olympic Games Richard McLaren Rio 2016 Rio Olympics

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