Egan: Letting gold medal slip will haunt me

OLYMPIC silver medal- winning boxer Kenny Egan last night admitted that he is still haunted at letting the gold title slip away.

The atmosphere was electric in Dublin Airport as Ireland’s Olympic stars returned home to a hero’s welcome, but Egan said that having a gold at his fingertips has killed him.

“I remember all those years ago watching [Michael] Carruth in his Olympic final taking the gold and I really thought in my heart of hearts I had it in me to go out do the same, but I just fell short,” he said.

“That medal was in my hand at one stage and it just slipped away. It kills me. It’s killing me today.... It will always haunt me, but I have a silver medal so I can’t be too bad.”

Egan was beaten in the final by home favourite Zhang Xiaoping by 11-7.

But he was a firm champion on home soil where his biggest embrace came from proud parents Paul and Maura and girlfriend Karen Sullivan.

The excitement intensified at Dublin Airport as Lufthansa 4982 was escorted by three fire engines to its slot as the Irish flag was waved from the cockpit.

Egan and his fellow boxers Darren Sutherland from Navan and Belfast’s Paddy Barnes, who notched up two bronze medals, got the largest cheers of the day when they met family and friends inside.

Light heavyweight Egan remained tight-lipped over his future in the sport.

“I don’t know if I’ll be in London [Olympics] or if I’ll turn professional,” he said.

Egan hoped the Irish team’s success will get youngsters all over the country back in to some sort of sport.

The Egan family will be reunited tomorrow for the first time since Christmas when brother Paul flies home from Germany.

Other siblings William, John and Tony are also travelling back from Beijing where they led his strong team of supporters.

Sutherland said he was delighted to be home. “It’s great to have something to bring home, it’s brilliant,” he said.

Sports Minister Martin Cullen and Chinese Ambassador Liu Biwei attended the special homecoming celebration at the airport hosted by the Olympic Council of Ireland.

A lone piper escorted the team through the airport where they were met by hundreds of chanting supporters.

Mr Cullen said: “I will be sitting down with key stakeholders — the national governing bodies, the Irish Sports Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland — to discuss how best we can build on the success that we had in Beijing to prepare for London 2012.”