Colchester’s Lewis Richardson secured Team GB’s first boxing medal of the Olympic Games on a memorable day at Paris 2024 following quarter-final victory.
Richardson guaranteed he will leave Paris with nothing less than a bronze medal following a closely fought, split decision (3:2) victory over Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash.
The Southpaw will now face Mexico’s Marco Verde Alvarez at 20:32pm UK time on Tuesday 6th August in the light-middleweight semi-finals.
The bout got off to a flying start for Richardson as he sailed into a unanimous lead at the end of the first-round bell, landing some impressive shots on his opponent in the process.
A closer second round however saw Eashash attempt to make his mark on the tie, but it didn’t deter the 27-year-old Brit who was ruled in favour with the judges, this time winning the round 3:2, meaning he was 2-0 up on three cards heading into the final round.
Knowing he was now in full control of his Olympic destiny, Richardson could often be seen smiling as he boxed his way through the final three minutes of the quarter-final contest knowing that come the end of it, he was guaranteed an Olympic medal at Paris 2024.
Richardson said: “I’m an Olympic medallist, for the rest of my life. It’s something that will live with me forever. Now it’s time to change that colour.
“I’m over the moon. It’s a special moment in mine and my family’s lives. I’m so grateful to be able to make them proud.
“I was aware of the expectations on me from the nation from a boxing perspective but I always back myself to perform the best I can, and I knew if I did, I knew there was strong possibility I’d come out victorious and thankfully, that’s been the case tonight.
“I could see different groups of friends and family in the crowd. It’s something that will live with me forever.
“The injuries, the setbacks, the uncontrollable factors that have gone against me have all made me a stronger person, both mentally and physically. The experiences I’ve gained from those situations have allowed me to be able to go out there and perform on the biggest stage in the world.
“I enjoyed myself and I put a big emphasis on that. It was hard work to reach the medal stages so now I’m there, I’m ready to go out there and showcase my skills to the world – just saying that puts a massive smile on my face.
In tomorrow’s action, Cindy Ngamba – who trains with GB Boxing but is representing the IOC Refugee Team as she does not yet have a British passport – is hoping to join Richardson in securing herself an Olympic medal when she takes on the host nation’s Davina Michel in tomorrow’s middleweight quarter-final scheduled for 15:02pm.
