THE ANGUISH WAS written all over her face, a tearful Katie Taylor barely able to find the words to describe her third defeat of what’s turned out to be a turbulent, and nightmarish, year.
The Bray boxer has now relinquished her World, European and Olympic crowns in the space of five months as she slipped to a split decision loss to Finish veteran Mira Potkonen.
The air of invincibility she’s held over the 60kg division for the last decade has now fully evaporated with the 30-year-old now heading home empty handed. What a difference four years makes.
Speaking to RTÉ post-fight, Taylor, fighting back the tears, admitted she should not be losing to opponents like Potkonen.
“It’s been a very, very tough year and I’ve suffered a lot of losses this year and it’s hard to very, very hard to take,” she said.
(If you can’t watch video, click here)
“The Olympics is a dream for me and I came in here prepared very well and I have it my best shot and it just didn’t happen. The plans you have in your heart just aren’t the same as God’s plans sometimes.
“I thought she probably won the second round the but the other three rounds went my way, again it’s a very close fight. It’s just very disappointing, I should be beating those girls. I don’t know what to say about it really. Those girls shouldn’t be beating me I don’t think.
“I’d just like to thank everyone for their support, their prayers, and I’m so humbled by that. It’s still such a privilege to be here and I just have to thank everyone for their support.”
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Hardly world beaters, especially going forward
@COYBIG: two evenly matched teams tomorrow so
I think travelling to Georgia will affect them. It’s a long journey. We have a chance.
@prop joe: good pt. I had not considered that. I think we will beat them.
Havent lost to these since 92. No Bale wine rate since 2012 is 9%.
Believe
Coybig
We will beat this shower tomorrow COYBIG! The welsh think the only have to turn up to beat us!
Whats the team photo about?
@Jane: It’s something Wales have been doing for a couple of years now as a bit of a joke, they deliberately take terrible team photos. Go back through all their qualifiers and you’ll see some with one player kneeling and the rest standing, and the opposite. Leaving gaps like that etc. No idea what it’s about.
@Eanna Costello: I’d never noticed it before, thanks
@Eanna Costello: I think they did one bad photo by mistake and just kept it going then for a laugh
@Jane:
More examples here. It’s gas really.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/1008/910725-the-wonders-of-the-wales-team-photo-what-is-going-on/
Seems like you guys think you have this in the bag already.
To put some perspective here – Wales have lost 3 games since 2013 when Bale wasn’t playing. Two of those were friendlies when other players including Ramsey were also not available, and the other one was after we’d already qualified for the Euros.
We haven’t lost a game since the 2016 Euros Semi final, we’ve kept a clean sheet for the last 3 games which we won, and tomorrow night we’re playing at home.
So despite the dismissive remarks above, Wales may pull off a huge upset.
@Saul Hamilton Evans: “not world beaters” “evenly matched” “we have a chance”. How is that us thinking its in the bag or dismissive of Wales? I think nearly all Irish fans thinks Wales are favourites but as said above, we go to Cardiff with a chance.
@Paul P O’Sullivan: is focain bómán é.
He’s a clown