Olympic boxer’s heartbreaking reaction to shock loss: ‘I feel like a failure, I’m so sorry’

Australia’s medal hopeful in men’s lightweight boxing, Harry Garside, suffered a surprise defeat in the round of 16 and gave a heartbreaking response, saying: ‘I feel like a failure, I’m so sorry.’

Garside won bronze at the Tokyo Games and is a former Commonwealth Games gold medallist, giving up a pro career to focus on gold in Paris.

However, he was beaten in his opening bout against Hungary’s Richard Kovacs and the 27-year-old gave a tear-jerking interview after the painful loss.

The Aussie spoke openly about mental health struggles ahead of Paris, saying he has had suicidal thoughts in the past, and is now worried for his immediate future, which he expects to be ‘quite challenging’.

‘It’s crazy. Two decades dedicated to one dream and it’s all over just like that,’ he said, via Fox Sports. ‘I feel pretty numb right now.

‘I’m sure the next month or two will be quite challenging, quite hard. I fear for my mind, it gets a better of me. I feel like I’ve let myself down and let Australia down mate, but what do you do?

‘Australia is such a sporting nation, and I’m so sorry. Honestly. I feel like a failure right now. I feel like … I don’t even know what to say.’

Garside thankfully did see some positives and thanked his family and team, while sending a message to children who may hope to achieve their own sporting dreams.

‘Thank you so much Australia. It really means a lot,’ he continued. ‘I know sportsmen are just supposed to say the right things right now. And thank you so much but deep down inside, mate, I fear for what the next couple of months looks like for myself. And there’ll truly be some dark times, mate. I gotta prepare for that now.

‘I’ve got to thank my coach. He’s been there since I was nine years old, 18 years in my corner, and I love that man to bits,” he said.

‘My mum and dad. Everyone back home, 3140 Lilydale, all of Australia. The support I’ve had online is unbelievable.

‘And I really thought that I could win that gold medal, but that’s a failure, right? That sport, that’s life. But I’ll get back up after a few months and see what’s next.

‘Can I just say something to the kids out there? I was seven years old two decades ago when this dream started. The man that I’ve become on that journey over 20 years is unbelievable.’

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