Tokyo 2020 - ‘I feel like a failure’ – Devastated Ben Whittaker pockets silver medal on podium

ByRichard Newman

Updated 04/08/2021 at 10:06 GMT

The Darlaston light heavyweight was beaten by Cuba’s Arlen Lopez on a split decision and was visibly devastated after missing out on becoming an Olympic champion. Whittaker was in tears on the podium and says he cannot celebrate coming second. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Team GB boxer Ben Whittaker says he feels “like a failure” after winning Olympic silver in the light-heavyweight gold-medal match.

The 24-year-old from Darlaston lost on a split decision to Cuba’s Arlen Lopez, whose southpaw style was a little too much for his British opponent. Whittaker lost the first round 10-9 and one judge awarded him the second, but he was not able to make up ground in the final round.

He was clearly distraught at the end of the match and was still upset by the medal ceremony, as Whittaker took his silver in tears. He refused to put the medal around his neck, instead putting it in his pocket.

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It is the second British boxing silver of the Games, after Pat McCormack finished second in the welterweight category.

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“No boxer wants to receive a silver medal, every boxer wants gold and I am one of those,” he said.

"I woke up this morning truly believing this was my time. I had the whole of the West Midlands behind me and Great Britain.

I feel like a failure, so I didn’t want to celebrate silver at that time and I don’t think I can just yet. When I look back in a few years, it will probably be a great achievement but right now I don’t feel like it.

'Nothing he could do' - Whittaker falls just short in final to take boxing silver

"I feel like the right man won. He was a lot better than I thought, he is a two-time gold medallist for a reason.

“It shows what level he is at and I can remember watching him in 2014 or 2015. I never thought I would get the chance to fight him and I did and it was a pleasure but I am just so upset.

“It is very strange because idols turn to rivals. I would not say I was in awe of him but I respected him. And then I am in the right with him. It was a weird one but he is a fantastic boxer and hopefully one day I get to see him again.”

It is Lopez’s second Olympic gold, having moved up from winning the middleweight title at Rio 2016.

'An outpouring of emotion' - GB's Whittaker settles for boxing silver

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