Carlo Paalam laments decision in Olympic loss, vows to bounce back stronger

The contentious split decision loss to Australia's Charlie Senior denies Carlo Paalam a guaranteed medal and a chance to complete his unfinished business after he fell short of the gold in the Tokyo Games

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam felt an Olympic medal slipped out of his hands.

Paalam said he delivered the more convincing hits that should have merited a win after he exited the Paris Games following a split decision loss to Australia’s Charlie Senior in the men’s 57kg quarterfinals on Saturday, August 3.

In one of the closest verdicts of this Olympics, Paalam lost by scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 27-30, 28-29 as Senior marched on to the medal rounds.

The defeat denied Paalam a guaranteed medal and a chance to complete his unfinished business after he fell short of the gold in the Tokyo Games three years ago.

“His shots did not land and my counters were very clear. I did my best,” Paalam said in Filipino in an interview with Olympic broadcaster Cignal.

“I was leading. I’m sorry to everyone,” Paalam added. “It is what it is.”

Paalam overcame an array of challenges to earn a return trip to the Olympics as he needed to move up to the heavier 57kg division after winning the 52kg silver in Tokyo.

He then suffered a shoulder injury in the first World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy, in March, which forced him to pull out despite being just two victories away from an Olympic berth.

But the pride of Cagayan de Oro got the job done in June as he secured a top-two finish in the second World Qualification Tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, to book his ticket to Paris.

Although he bid his medal hopes goodbye, Paalam vowed to bounce back.

“This is not the end. I’ll continue to train and come back stronger for my next fight,” Paalam wrote in Filipino on his Facebook page. – Rappler.com