Barnes reveals weight issue that contributed to shock Olympic loss

Paddy Barnes was sensationally eliminated from the Olympic Games in his first fight this afternoon, and the Belfast light flyweight has revealed that the loss was partly due to weight-making problems.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of his loss in Rio today to Spaniard Samuel Carmona Heredia, Barnes told RTÉ that

“In the second round I had nothing left, I don’t even know how I threw that much punches because I had absolutely nothing left to give.”

“To be honest, I shouldn’t be fighting at this weight, it’s so so hard getting down to it.”

“Midway through the first round I was dead, I was gone.”

“That’s just the way it goes”

Indeed Barnes had no complaints about the close split decision loss to the Iberian and felt that “even if I had won that fight I would have got hammered in the next round because I had no energy.”

“Just as well I got beat because I would have been embarrassed in the next fight.”

Detailing his problems making the light flyweight limit, Barnes explained that “it’s always hard for me to make the weight, but this time, cos I’m training differently, I’m up at 58 kilo and I fight at 49.”

“So there were questions whether I’d even make the weight, and I just made it, and I’d no energy left.”

“This morning is the last time I’ll ever make 49 kilo again.”