Boxer Harry Garside reveals he’s ‘in love’ following Olympic loss

The new details come after the boxer’s crushing Olympic loss where the Tokyo bronze medallist felt he’d let Australia down.

Boxer Harry Garside has revealed he’s in love following a crushing loss at the Olympics.

Garside’s two-year dream of winning gold at the Olympics was ripped from his hands in a devastating blow on Monday.

He lost in the men’s 63.5kg class after bringing home bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 27-year-old broke down in tears after the crushing loss, revealing to Channel 7 he’d began boxing at the age of seven because he “felt extremely weak compared to (his) brothers”, though his mother has since shared a touching show of support for her son.

Boxer Harry Garside has revealed he’s in love. Picture: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

He broke down following a loss to Hungary's Richard Kovacs.

Following the loss, the boxer told Channel 7 he had fallen in love after a struggle to find a partner during his career.

“We were always travelling, always moving around and I never really had, I guess, the time to fully dedicate to a partner, and I woke up New Year’s Day and said, ‘It’s the Olympic year, let’s go. Gold medal, two decades’,” he said.

“In the process of the last seven months I fell in love, and it happened so unexpectedly. I feel really grateful that I don’t know what the next little period for me holds, but I know that person will definitely have my back.”

Garside said he was “really excited” for this new part of his life.

“We’re humans, we’re animals, and love is, for me, the most beautiful emotion,” he said.

“I have loved boxing my whole entire life but now to fall in love with someone and to be at that start, that little honeymoon stage, is very exciting.”

Following his Olympic loss on Monday, Garside told Channel 7 it had been a “pretty tough couple of hours”.

“The highs and lows of sport — we’re athletes, but yeah, it’s the Olympic Games and two decades trying to chase this dream, and for it to be over like that, you feel like a bit of a disappointment,” he said.

“But that’s sport, right. That’s life.”

Garside said he felt as though he’d let Australia down, adding he had “truly thought” he could bring home a medal.

“I really appreciate the support I have had since I fought and it has been unbelievable. I feel so grateful to be Australian right now but it’s a failure, and I really want young people especially to see that life’s hard sometimes,” he said.

Garside said he first began boxing when he was seven. Picture: Instagram

Despite the loss, Garside said he was ‘really excited’ for the next part of his life with a new partner. Picture: Instagram

“We fail, we get knocked down. Sometimes it’s our fault, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes life just knocks us down and it is challenging.

“It’s tough but it is always our choice what we do next and how we react to hard times.”
The boxer said the next period of his life would be “really challenging”, but he was going to “try to have a better relationship with (himself)”.

“I’m sure there will be lot of ups and downs and questioning myself and that inner critic – we’ve all got it – it is going to be quite tough,” he said.

“I’m really proud of the work I have done over the last five years of my life.”

His mother, Kate, expressed her unwavering support for Garside on Facebook, saying her pride “doesn’t come from a medal”, but from “being the mum of the man he is”.

“You inspire, acknowledge and champion all and because of that you are someone that deserves more than a gold medal,” she wrote.

“I know it hurts right now, and your true north compass will seem a little hard to find for a while but all I can say is, Harry Garside is not just a Commonwealth Gold Medallist, not just a two-time Olympian, not just a seven-time Australian Champion but a good f***ing bloke, and my son.”

She added Garside is a man who “has time for people” and “encourages and inspires others”.

“(A man) who doesn’t always clean his room, put the bins out or clean the kitchen properly after he cooks, who one day will be a dad who will love his kids unconditionally and teach them amazing lessons in life,” she wrote.

“The world is your oyster and it’s only just starting to show you its pearl inside. Love you xx.”

Garside’s former partner Ashley Ruscoe was arrested and charged with domestic violence. She has pleaded not guilty. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Her charges came after an assault charge against Garside was dropped. Picture: NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

It comes after Garside was arrested by NSW Police last year over domestic violence-related charges.

However, police dropped the charges after Garside’s legal team gave video evidence that showed his ex-girlfriend as the alleged aggressor.

Garside maintained his innocence, and his ex-girlfriend, Ashley Alsione Ruscoe, was arrested at her Bellevue Hill home in Sydney in July last year and charged with assaulting and intimidating her former partner.

A month later, Ms Ruscoe, a 35-year-old boxing coach and wellness guru, was charged with two counts of intentionally distributing intimate images of Mr Garside without his consent.

Ms Ruscoe has entered not guilty pleas to the two charges of distributing an intimate image without consent, common assault and stalking or intimidating Mr Garside.

While Ms Ruscoe waits to fight the charges, she has since relocated to Bali where she continues to teach boxing.