Irish Boxer Michael Conlan Offered Medal By Young Boy After Olympic Loss

Irish bantamweight boxer Michael Conlan controversially crashed out of the Rio Olympics on Tuesday after a controversial quarterfinal defeat by decision to Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin that culminated in Conlan delivering an expletive-laden rant on how unfair the fight was.

Irish Boxer Michael Conlan Offered Medal By Young Boy After Olympic Loss

Conlan, 24, a Belfast native, complained that the Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA) “cheated,” that the fight was rigged, and that he was “robbed of his Olympic dream.”

“I’ll never box for AIBA again, they’re cheating bastards,” he said after the fight, according to Yahoo Sports. “They’re paying everybody.”

Conlan even took a shot at Russian President Vladimir Putin via Twitter:

Conlan won bronze at the London 2012 Games.

“At the end of the first round, it had been so easy, so comfortable, I wasn’t even out of breath,” said Conlan. “I said ‘I’ll win this easy’. But I was told I was down. I had to go to war.

“I fought him at his own game. I pulled back that second round then I outfought him in the last round.

“I’ve been robbed of my Olympic dream.”

The Irishman finished his time in Rio by flipping off the judges.

“I have a big career ahead of me,” Conlan added. “These ones are known for being cheats, they have always been cheats. Amateur boxing stinks from the core right to the top.”

Conlan isn’t the only one who believes he was robbed of an Olympic gold medal, however.

A five-year-old boy from Dublin sent a touching letter to his idol, offering a fake medal as consolation.

Finn McManus told a frustrated Conlan: “I want you to have my school medal because you are a winner.”

Conlan responded on Twitter, calling it a “very warming message” and imploring anyone who new McManus to help him deliver a gift to the young Dubliner.

McManus’s uncle also shared the letter he penned with the help of his older sister Lily. 

The boy’s mother, Meadhbh McManus, told BBC News NI that she has been “overwhelmed” by both the response of the public and the boxer himself.

She said it was “wonderful that he acknowledged” her son’s letter while having to deal with his own disappointment in Rio di Janeiro.

She also added that the boxer’s offer of a gift for her son was “really, really kind.”

Finn won his own medal during a sports day at his play school near their family home in Swords.

After watching Conlan’s loss on Tuesday, Finn asked if he could give his medal to the boxer, and with the help of his nine-year-old sister, sent the letter and medal to Conlan via a private Facebook message.

Mrs. McManus said she was surprised by the “social media storm” that quickly arose after her brother shared her message on Twitter.

She had not expected so much reaction but added that Finn would be delighted when she tells him that his “idol” has responded to his letter.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 14: Michael Conlan (red) of Ireland celebrates victory over Aram Avagyan of Armenia after they compete in the Bantamweight 56 kg Men boxing bout on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Riocentro – Pavilion 6 on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena