Conlan going for Rio gold
MICHAEL Conlan isn’t just going for gold is nigh on guaranteeing he will grace the top of the podium in Rio 2016.
Conlan along with Paddy Barnes earned quota places for the Rio 2016 Olympics following a tense and dramatic night for Irish boxing in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) in Maiquetía, Venezuela over the weekend.
The Belfast talent needed to win in his last fight of the WSB regular season and hope that Azeri bantam Magomed Gurbanov lost away to Puerto Rico’s Hector Garcia. Gurbanov was the favourite, but Garcia dropped the Azeri in the fifth en route to a unanimous decision.
The 23 year old Senior Champion admits he was surprised Gurbanov lost and expressed his delight at making a second successive Olympics.
And the younger brother of pro fighter Jamie Conlan isn’t going to Rio to take part, he is targeting a gold medal, indeed the London 2012 bronze medal winner is 100 percent confident he will pick up the more precious metal next summer.
“It was a long shot that Gurbanov would lose,” said Conlan. “I am over the moon. I can’t believe it. I’ll take a break now for a while, but I’ll keep an eye on my weight. My aim for this year is to keep active. I am coming into my prime as a amateur. I will be 24 in Rio. I will be winning gold in Rio 100 percent.
