Nolan overcomes nerves to progress

Ireland’s Adam Nolan admitted his desire to impress on the Olympic stage almost cost him dear as he struggled to find top form in a 14-8 victory over Ecuador’s Carlos Sanchez Estacio in the welterweight division.

Nolan, a 25-year-old Garda from Bray, was seldom threatened by his inexperienced opponent but admitted he had plenty of improvement to make in his daunting last 16 clash with Russia’s powerful Andrey Zamkovoy.

Nolan said: “I was a little over-eager to get in there and get the win. It’s like a cauldron and I was a little taken aback at the start, but without the crowd I wouldn’t have got through it.

“I made it hard for myself but the main thing is I got through. My performances to get here were top-class and there will be pressure on the Russian. I will go out there and throw off the shackles and try to box with a free spirit.”

Nolan’s early nerves soon settled as he opened up the Ecuadorian with a series of swinging left hands, but his eagerness allowed his opponent to land a couple of crunching lefts of his own.

The Irishman emerged three points clear at the end of the first, and was visibly more relaxed in the second, when he picked his punches better and regularly jolted Sanchez Estacio through his guard as he extended his lead to five.

Predictably the Ecuadorian sought to pour on the pressure in the final round, but Nolan largely kept him at bay behind a flicking jab, and was good value for a win which takes him into a last 16 clash with Zamkovoy.

Nolan was the third Irish winner after Saturday’s victories for John Joe Nevin and Darren O’Neill and he added: “We have all sorts in the team and we’re bonding really well. We are all behind each other 100%.”