Harry’s heartbreak: Shattered Garside’s Olympics over in first round defeat

A gutted Harry Garside could fight no more. Holding back tears for three minutes, he finally let it all out, collapsing on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably after crashing out of the Paris Olympics.

A gutted Harry Garside could fight no more. Holding back tears for three minutes, he finally let it all out, collapsing on the floor and sobbing uncontrollably after crashing out of the Paris Olympics.

Australia’s bronze medal hero in Tokyo, Garside arrived in Paris chasing gold but he cut a shattered figure after a shock first-round exit at the hands of hard-punching Hungarian Richard Kovacs.

Garside was so broken he apologised. He felt he had let Australia down. Then, as he tried to reconcile his failed gold-medal bid, Garside cracked completely.

“I just feel like a failure,” he said.

“I feel pretty numb right now to be completely honest. As an athlete you put a lot of expectation on yourself and for my run to be over just like that, I feel like a failure right now.

A devastated Garsdie straight after the fight.

Garside breaks down after his defeat.

“I could see the gold medal in all my visualisations and it hasn’t happened.

“I really thought I could do it and it’s the reason I was here. I don’t believe in God, maybe an angel catches you up there, but unfortunately it has smashed deep in my face.

“I’m pretty humiliated right now.”

He shouldn’t be. No-one in Australia will be condemning Garside. But the 27-year-old is a hard marker. Bronze was good but gold is greatness. And Garside believed he was good enough for greatness in Paris before walking into the heavy left and right hands of the heavily-tattooed Kovacs.

In the media mixed zone, Garside bared his soul like few athletes would. As he tried to explain the pressure he applied in his bid for gold, Garside hit breaking point.

Emotionally broken, he put his hands to his knees. He then walked away to a quiet corner and collapsed, sobbing deeply as an Australian media representative tried to assist him to his feet.

Harry Garside lands a punch but not enough. Picture: Michael Klein

“You know, the deal you make with yourself, I was having voices in my head …” Garside said, his voice trailing away just seconds before collapsing in agony.

“Maybe I did put too much pressure on myself.

“You listen to all these sports doctors to have a positive mindset.

“Over the last three years I’ve become my own friend. It sounds intuitive right, but before the last Olympics I hated myself.

“The relationship I had with myself was so poor. The last three years I have become my own friend.

“Life is full of ups and downs. The universe doesn’t stop for anyone. The next few months for myself will be a pretty hard time. I will have some dark moments and I’m f**king terrified to be honest.”

Kovacs snatched victory by unanimous decision in a devastating blow for Garside and Australia’s medal hopes.

It was a close contest. Three of the five judges gave Garside the opening round, with the

Garside could not get past the first round. Picture: Michael Klein

Aussie proving slicker, while Kovacs had the power and landed some heavier shots.

Kovacs was dangerous in the second round and won the nod with all five judges, nullifying Garside’s speed with some crunching left and right hands.

Garside tried hard in the third, but his volume wasn’t enough as the cocksure Kovacs claimed a major boilover.

“It’s a wild sport,” Garside said.

“All Olympic events, it’s crazy it comes around every four years and for it to be over like that, it hurts.

“He made the adaptations he needed to, he was showboating, too, and making it look like he was in control.

“That’s just not what I’m about, but he made the adaptations in the second round and boxed brilliantly and I didn’t make the adjustments quick enough.

“There’s still the pattern of being hard on myself. I have to reflect on that and see what’s next after this.”

HOW COCKY KOVACS DROVE GARSIDE MAD

It was the “showboating” that drove Harry Garside mad ... and ultimately sent him crashing out of the Olympics.

Hungarian giant-killer Richard Kovacs didn’t just frustrate Garside with his punching power, he goaded the Australian with incessant skylarking in his round of 16 boilover at North Paris Arena.

Garside won the first round with three of five judges but he couldn’t stem the Hungarian tide as Kovacs clinched a unanimous points victory with a powerhouse display in the second and third rounds.

Compounding Garside’s pain, the Tokyo bronze medal hero wasn’t impressed with a cocky Kovacs pulling faces at his rival and saluting with his arms whenever he landed a telling punch.

A gracious Garside said Kovacs deserved victory, but took umbrage at the Hungarian’s gamesmanship during a nailbiting nine minutes in the 63.5kg weight class.

Richard Kovacs progressed after beating Garside. Picture: Michael Klein

“He made the adaptions he needed to, that showboating was on his side as well,” Garside said after his heartbreaking first-up loss.

“He was putting up his hands and making it look like he was in control.

“That’s not in my nature.

“No offence to him, he is a great athlete and that’s how some boxers box, they want to get into the flair, but it’s just not what I’m about.

“He made the adaptions in the second round and boxed brilliantly.

“All credit to him but I wasn’t able make the adjustments quickly enough.”

Buoyed by his Tokyo heroics, Garside came to Paris confident of winning gold but his faster hand speed was no match for Kovacs’ power.

Garside’s exit was matched by the demise of Tyla McDonald, who was outpunched and outclassed by Ecuador’s Maria Jose Palacios in the 60kg class.

The 21-year-old McDonald was overwhelmed by the power of Palacios and admitted to suffering stage fright on the Olympic stage.

Originally published as Harry’s heartbreak: Shattered Garside’s Olympics over in first round defeat