Ochigava blasts judges for favouring Taylor

Katie Taylor’s defeated Russian opponent last night hit out at the judging of yesterday’s women’s lightweight Olympic final.

Silver medallist Sofya Ochigava, the girl Taylor defeated in the world championships earlier this year, launched a stinging attack on the scoring of the decider which she believed she had won.

The officials scored the fight 10-8 to Taylor but a furious Ochigava told reporters: “Just as in the world championships when she was about to lose the judges — as usual — corrected the scores in her favour. What can I say? It is not really surprising but is very strange.”

Ochigava also claimed that Taylor had been running scared of her throughout the four round eight minute encounter.

Said the Russian: “It is difficult to say she was a better fighter than me because I could always see fear in her eyes.

“It was as though she didn’t know what was going on. She actually closed her eyes each time before she hit me.”

The pair embraced after the fight and were locked in conversation for a short spell.

But the silver medallist again dismissed any suggestion of friendship between the two.

“Generally it was rubbish talk. We are often talking between ourselves. I really don’t know what I was saying. It was nothing very special. What can I say now?”