Rio Olympics 2016: Joe Joyce misses out on super-heavyweight gold as he loses final

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Great Britain's Joe Joyce was denied an Olympic gold medal as he lost to France's Tony Yoka in the final of the men's super-heavyweight boxing.

Joyce, 30, lost on a split decision 30-27, 29-28, 28-29 as he had to settle for a silver medal.

It means Britain end with a total of 27 gold medals, 23 silvers and 17 bronze medals from the 2016 Rio Games.

The overall total of 67 medals is two more than Team GB achieved at their home Olympics four years ago.

Joyce also missed out on becoming the third British Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist in the past five Games, after Audley Harrison in 2000 and Anthony Joshua in 2012.

"It was the last medal at the Olympic Games and I thought the gold was mine so I will just have to watch it back and see where it went wrong," Joyce told BBC One.

"My coach let me know I was down but I was landing shots all of the last round.

"All throughout I was throwing punches, going through his guard and it was just the odd shot he nicked.

"I gave it my all, got the training right. I am just disappointed. Silver isn't that bad. I expected the gold but it wasn't to be."

Also on the final day of the Games, Shakhobidin Zoirov won the men's flyweight title and Fazliddin Gaibnazarov triumphed in the light-welterweight to give Uzbekistan their third and fourth golds of the Games.

Meanwhile, American Claressa Shields retained her Olympic title as she beat Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands in the women's middleweight final.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Tony Yoka celebrated his victory with fiance Estelle Mossely, who also won a gold medal in the women's lightweight competition

Analysis

Anthony Joshua, 2012 super-heavyweight gold medallist and current IBF heavyweight world champion:

"I have never seen a heavyweight throw so many punches. Joe was aggressive, making the fight and for me he is Olympic champion. In spirit he is champion.

"I'm so proud of what he has achieved. He is a credit to the sport in and out of the ring. With the power he possesses, he is a phenomenal fighter.

"It is like you have to knock them out in the heavyweight division and I was praying he caught Yoka with one shot."

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