Tokyo Olympics: Aidan Walsh feels 'extremely lucky' to have won bronze despite being forced to miss semi-final

Belfast boxer Aidan Walsh says winning a bronze medal at the Olympics is "massive" despite the injury which forced him to miss his semi-final.

Walsh fractured his right ankle when celebrating his quarter-finals win over Merven Clair of Mauritius.

That ultimately made it impossible for the Irish welterweight to face Great Britain's Pat McCormack in his scheduled semi-final on Sunday.

"No matter what has been going on, I feel extremely lucky," said Walsh, 24.

Speaking alongside his sister Michaela who also boxed for Ireland at the Tokyo Games, Walsh added: "I always try to look at the positive things in life.

"Obviously I wanted to fight and we did everything we could to fight but it came down to the last minutes and they [the medics] said it was physically impossible.

"It's a fractured ankle. My right one is fractured and my left one is badly bruised. Michaela has been wheeling me about on a wheelchair since it happened."

Aidan Walsh fractured his right ankle and bruised his left one after leaping into the air to celebrate his quarter-finals win

'Waiting for that moment my whole life'

Walsh sustained the break after landing awkwardly when leaping into the air to celebrate his quarter-finals victory.

"I was waiting for that moment my whole life. Those few seconds seemed like four hours. It was probably four seconds.

"Just with the pure excitement I leapt into the air. It was amazing. I'll remember that moment and those pictures for the rest of my life."

Sister Michaela says she "knew" Aidan would win a medal at the Games though that didn't stop her being a bag of nerves when watching his quarter-final.

"I felt like I was going to get sick but in a way I tried to control that because I didn't want to reflect that on to Aidan," said Michaela.

"He was confident going in so I wanted to replicate that and be confident myself but as a sister I was very nervous."

Walsh 'regained focus' after sister's defeat

While the siblings are incredibly close, Aidan says that he was able to put the disappointment of his sister's last-16 defeat by Italy's Irma Testa to one side as he chased medal success.

"We've been doing this since I was eight years of age….right through the years, it happens all the time. Some fights I lose and she still has to go out and perform.

"This is obviously a bigger stage but I just had to regain focus.

"Obviously I was gutted that she lost. Her fight was so close. I thought she performed absolutely amazingly as she always does at the highest level.

"I know in the next Olympics and Commonwealth Games, there are a lot more medals to come from her."

The Walshes promised their mother some new flooring at home and a couple of new vases if either of them brought home a medal from Japan and plans are already in train.

"We're on the phone already organising stuff. We have to keep to the promises. My mum has been amazing."

Aidan is also looking forward to a trip to the family's caravan in Carnlough and a "bit of fishing" and some Chinese food at his favourite take away in the coastal village.

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