Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Carl Frampton backs Lewis Richardson for glory ahead of Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez semi-final
Published 06/08/2024 at 13:31 GMT+1
Team GB are guaranteed a boxing medal at Paris 2024 with Lewis Richardson in semi-final action against Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez. It is a bright point in an otherwise disappointing Games for the British boxing team, with Richardson the last fighter standing. Carl Frampton is backing Richardson to win gold. Watch every moment of the Paris Olympics on discovery+.
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Carl Frampton is backing Lewis Richardson for Olympic glory, saying he “hasn’t broken a sweat” to get to the semi-finals.
He is Team GB’s last remaining boxer competing in Paris and made sure he will add to his country’s medal tally after beating Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash on a split decision in his quarter-final.
Richardson will take on Mexico’s Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez in the men’s 71kg semi-finals, which are being held at the iconic tennis venue of Roland Garros.
A win will take him through to the gold medal bout, but if Richardson loses, he will be awarded a bronze medal without fighting again.
Third-placed fights were scrapped in the 1950s to protect the physical health of boxers.
Speaking to Eurosport’s Bonjour Paris programme, Frampton said a lack of pressure put on Richardson in the build-up to the Games has paid off.
“Probably coming into the tournament, everybody is hopeful for a medal but he probably isn’t one of the guys you’d pick as the stand out,” he said.
“There was no real expectations of him going into the Games, maybe he had his own expectations but, I mean, he’s done everything with relative ease. He hasn’t really broken a sweat yet and he’s already secured a medal.”
Standing in the way of a place in the final for Richardson is the 2023 Pan American Games champion Alvarez.
Frampton thinks the British fighter’s journey to this stage of the competition in Paris shows he has what it takes to progress further.
“He’s done it with relative ease. Both fights so far have been 3-2 decisions, in his favour obviously, but doesn’t look like he really has a mark on him.
“He hasn’t really got out of second gear yet so I’m confident that he can improve on the bronze and get into the final.
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Lewis Richardson beat Jordan's Zeyad Eashash in the quarter-finals at Paris 2024
Image credit: Getty Images
“He’s a good fighter and he’s in the form of his life and form is really important as well and coming into your peak and everything else."
Overall, it has been a tough Games for Team GB – who faced the possibility of leaving an Olympics without a medal for the first time since 1996 before Richardson stepped up.
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Frampton thinks the British fighters have been unlucky.
“Olympic Games are always difficult. A lot of it’s down to the draw and they’ve had some tough draws but they’ve also had some, let’s say, dodgy decisions. Rosie Eccles – I’m still not quite sure how she lost her fight. Delicious Orie had a close one as well.”
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, and the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer
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