Rosie Eccles was overwhelmed with emotion after a contentious loss to Poland’s Aneta Rygielska, a result that she described as “truly shocking.” The Welsh boxer was knocked out of the women’s 66kg category following a 3-2 split decision, eliciting boos and jeers from the crowd at the North Paris Arena.
Rygielska had a point deducted for holding, while the Canadian judge awarded the bout to Eccles by a four-point margin.
“A boxer knows when they’ve won a fight,” Eccles remarked tearfully after the match. “I was certain I had won, so this is really, really shocking. It feels like I’m in a dream right now, but it’s not a good one. I’m even more upset that she had a point taken off for spoiling.
“I don’t know what else to say except I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped me get this far.”
Having missed the Tokyo Games due to illness and injury, the 28-year-old faced defeat less than 24 hours after her Team GB teammate Charley Davison also suffered a controversial points loss to Turkey’s Hatice Akbas in the opening 54kg bout.
“I’ve dedicated my whole life to winning a gold medal at the Olympics,” Eccles stated. “Or at least bringing home an Olympic medal. That would have made me extremely proud, especially to share it with all the people who’ve supported me along the way.
“And my fellow teammate Charley Davison, enduring the same fate yesterday. Neither of us have had a great experience.”
Team GB officials were reportedly furious regarding the judging decisions.
More disappointment followed for Team GB; judoka Chelsie Giles saw her aspirations for an Olympic podium dashed after losing to Brazil’s Larissa Pimenta in a golden score.
Giles, a bronze medalist in Tokyo, exited in the last 16 of the -52 kg category. “It was a very tactical match, and I have fought her several times before,” Giles explained. “I just got unlucky and was caught off guard. There’s not much I could have done.”
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Giles’ exit marked a significant setback for Team GB’s five-member judo team at Paris 2024. The 27-year-old from Coventry was expected to contend for a medal after becoming the European champion and winning silver at the World Championships since the Tokyo Games.
The British women’s hockey team also faced a challenging start to their campaign at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, losing 2-1 to Spain. All three goals were scored within the first nine minutes; Giselle Ansley equalized for Team GB after Laura Barrios’s opener but could not prevent Lola Riera from scoring the game-winner.
However, four out of six teams in the group advance to the next round, and Great Britain still has an opportunity to turn their fortunes around, with their next match against Australia on Monday.
