Carruth: Irish boxing needs another Olympic kingpin

MICHAEL CARRUTH says that it’s about time he is replaced in the record books as the last Irishman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.

Carruth remains a national hero after shocking Cuban sensation and four-time world champion, Juan Hernandez in the welterweight final at Barcelona ‘92. As a development officer for the IABA, in conjunction with Dublin county council, Carruth is continuing to inspire potential future stars in the capital’s north central region but nothing would give the sport a boost in this country like a new Olympic kingpin.

“I’m expecting gold medals,” said Carruth yesterday. “Bronze is lovely, silver is lovely but we have to start expecting gold medals. It will be 20 years since I won. These lads have everything they need, from high performance training, physiotherapy, nutrition, core training, training camps, competition like you wouldn’t believe. So I’m expecting golds. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t pick up a gold medal.

“We need to get that monkey off our back. It’s a bit of a gorilla at the moment. I like Michael Conlon, I like John Joe Nevin. Always look for the little lads.”

Conlon, Darren O’Neill and 2008 Beijing bronze medallist John Joe Nevin qualified through the world championships in Baku last September. Some of the reaction afterwards was downbeat, as five qualifiers had been targeted, but with only three Americans making the cut from the same competition, some perspective is needed according to Carruth. And he is expecting another three male boxers and two females to qualify, bringing the boxing team to 10 in London next August.

Needless to say, he is confident that Katie Taylor will be there but believes that the hype should be kept at a minimum until such time as the Bray prodigy gets through the qualifiers in China next May. For many, a gold medal is guaranteed for the world and European champion but Carruth is preaching caution.

“What people don’t realise is there’s only three boxing categories (in the women’s section). There’s 51, 60 and 75kg. So anyone who’s in the 64kg will be trying to move down to 60. Any world champion or runner-up in the 57kg will be moving up, so (Katie) could be up against two world champions, along with herself, and three runners-up. But she’s got all the pedigree. She’s done everything that’s been asked of her, she’s always rose to the top. I’d just say that the media should let her alone and qualify first and then we’ll address the Olympics.”

Carruth brought his medal to the Holy Trinity NS in Donaghmede yesterday, where Darren O’Neill teaches. The duo were helping to launch a programme involving educational company Prime-Ed and the Olympic Council of Ireland, in which children will learn through literature and CDs about the history of the Olympics, and what it takes to be an elite athlete.