Jarrod Fletcher loses to Cuban, has no excuses

Jarrod Fletcher loses to Cuban, has no excuses

JARROD Fletcher's Olympic dream lasted exactly 11 minutes.

The middleweight boxer from Moe, who took up fighting at the age of 10, entered his first bout at Beijing's Workers Gymnasium in the knowledge that he had beaten his opponent, rangy Cuban Emilio Correa Bayeaux, just nine weeks ago.

But Fletcher, 24, learned the hard way that there is no bigger stage than the Olympics - and that nine weeks is a long time in boxing.

"He moved too well," Fletcher said of Bayeaux. "I had to catch my feet. I was always chasing his tail, he had quick feet.

"Cubans are the best boxers in the world. It didn't matter what I would do, he just kept finding answers."

The Cubans are again the dominant force at these Games, and Fletcher said he had expected a battle after drawing Bayeaux in his opening bout.

"There's always tough calls at the Olympics," he said.
Related Links

"I knew I was up for a challenge. Fingers crossed the rest of the boys do alright."

Bayeaux led the four-round bout from start to finish, bursting out to an 8-1 lead in the second round.

Fletcher caught Bayeaux with a left hook, forcing the referee to deliver a standing eight count, but he never otherwise threatened his taller opponent.

"I slowed down a little to save energy," Bayeaux said.

"I was clearly winning and I decided to focus on winning rather than having an aggressive bout."

The Australian team's best medal hopes now lie with experienced welterweight Gerard O'Mahony and lightweight Anthony Little.

The boxing team spent three weeks before the Games in Thailand, acclimatising for Beijing's stifling heat, but the first-class facilities at the Workers Gymnasium ensured that conditions were no different to Sydney or Melbourne - and Fletcher knew he had no excuses.

Fletcher was considered a real chance in Beijing, having won gold in the Oceania Championships for two years running and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006.

After all the hype of the Opening Ceremony, it was a brutal reminder on day one of how some Olympic dreams end before they really even begin.