Australian boxer Harry Garside says he wants his emotional response to an unexpected loss at the Paris Olympics to serve as a reminder to young Australians that “failure is a part of life”.
Garside, who broke Australia’s 33-year boxing medal drought in Tokyo three years ago, had his heart set on gold in Paris but broke down in tears on television following defeat to Hungarian Richard Kovacs in the men’s lightweight bout at Arena Paris Nord on Monday.
Garside later gave a ringside interview so raw as to make viewers feel they’d been on the end of one of Kovacs’ punches. It gave a stinging insight into the reality that for all the success stories we will celebrate in Paris, there will be athletes who will carry their failures around with them for the next four years.
“Honestly, I feel like a failure right now,” Garside told Nine, covering his face with hands still strapped up.
“I know sportsmen are supposed to say the right thing right now, and thank you so much, but deep down inside, I know there will be some dark times and I have to prepare for that now.”
Devastated Garside pours heart out
Harry Garside reflects on a disappointing Paris performance after crashing out in the first round. © International Olympic Committee
The interview triggered an outpouring of support – and concern – for the 27-year-old, who has been an outspoken advocate on mental health issues.
In a fresh interview on Nine broadcast on Tuesday morning Australian-time, Garside said he had been contemplating how his experience in Paris could serve as a lesson for others.
“This is what sport’s about, right? Life knocks you down. We care so much but sometimes the stars aren’t written for you in the way you want it,” he said.
“I’ve been thinking over the last couple of hours what sort of message I want to give right now, and I think it’s really important for young people to see [his defeat and response], because life will knock you down.
“There are so many times we get knocked down as humans, especially as adults. A lot of it is out of our control at times, too. And I think it’s important for young people to see that failure is just part of life.
“We have visions, we have dreams, we have ambitions and we get knocked down, and it’s our choice what we do next.”
Garside’s broadcast interview in the minutes after his defeat went around the world but away from the cameras, in the mixed zone, he elaborated on his own mental health struggles.
“Before the last Olympics, I hated myself, and it got results… But over the last four years I’ve become my own friend, which sounds so good, but I’ve started being too nice to myself… I’ve got to reflect on that and see what’s next,” he said.
“The next few months for myself will be a pretty hard time. I will have some dark moments and I’m f—king terrified to be honest.”
News
SHE’S STILL FIGHTING: Leah Stewart, 35, remains hospitalized for days following the horrific shark attack in Coogee that shocked Australia. The latest announcement from doctors in the ICU is leaving everyone stunned
Sydney mother mauled by shark at Coogee Beach has undergone ‘multiple surgeries’, family says Leah Stewart’s family say her injuries are “severe and life-threatening”. (Supplied: Stewart family ) The family of Sydney mother Leah Stewart, who was mauled by a shark…
🚨 SHE IS EXTREMELY LUCKY TO SURVIVE: Family reveals Leah Stewart lost a lot of blood after the attack and is currently undergoing a long recovery process. Updates about her first shark bite are touching, especially the first 3 WORDS when she opens her eyes
The sheer mathematics of survival following a major apex predator encounter often comes down to a matter of minutes and milliliters. For thirty-five-year-old Coogee schoolteacher and mother Leah Stewart, surviving a catastrophic strike by a suspected four-meter great white shark…
💔 SHE’S STILL FIGHTING Leah Stewart, 35, survived a horrific shark attack just 30 meters from shore, but friends say the road ahead may be longer than the rescue… especially after doctors revealed the severity of her injuries
The terrifying narrative of physical survival often ends at the water’s edge, concluded by the swift arrival of flashing emergency lights and the frantic applause of relieved onlookers. When twenty-four-year-old volunteer surf lifesaver Charlie Verco paddled his rescue board directly…
A hero paddled straight toward a 4-meter shark to save Leah Stewart’s life 💔 But while she remains hospitalized, attention has shifted to a decision made long before she went into the water. Critics argue that a single piece of technology could have changed everything, while officials insist they could have done nothing else
A hero paddled straight toward a 4-meter shark to save Leah Stewart’s life 💔 But while she remains hospitalized, attention has shifted to a decision made long before she went into the water. Critics argue that a single piece of…
Major breakthrough after 56 days 🚨 Taylor Charlton disappeared on May 8th and a 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. But detectives are still focusing on the last surveillance camera footage and the black car before she vanished
The quiet market town of Barnstaple in North Devon has been upended by a dark and fast-moving shift in the investigation into missing teenager Taylor Charlton. For nearly two months, the disappearance of the fifteen-year-old was treated by the public…
FOOTPRINTS FOUND IN THE FOREST 🚨 Days after Taylor Charlton went missing, search teams recovered a pair of blue Nike shoes believed to belong to the missing teenager. Eight weeks later, police arrested a murder suspect while continuing to investigate how the shoes ended up hundreds of meters apart
The dense, sprawling woodlands and volatile tidal marshes of North Devon have become the focal point of one of the most agonizing and perplexing missing person cases in recent British history. What began as a desperate search for fifteen-year-old Taylor…
End of content
No more pages to load
