World champion Michael Conlan says the presence of professional fighters at the Rio Olympics won’t stop him picking up a gold medal.
The Belfast boxer is the bantamweight European and world champion and one of Ireland’s best prospects at the Rio Games in August.
Recent moves make it likely that professionals will be allowed to compete in the ring at the Olympics for the first time - not that Conlan is bothered.
“I’m happy to welcome them in,” he smiled. “I love it.
“I think we have the advantage. We’re sprinters and they’re long distance runners and it’s still a sprint. We’re not running a long distance race. Three rounds is what we do and it’s what we’ll be doing.
“They do six, eight or 12 rounds and they’ll have to come down to three. That’s quite hard.”
Conlan points out that he won fights in the WSP and APB boxing tournaments, which feature professionals and amateurs over five, six and eight rounds.
He explains that he found it difficult to drop back to three rounds after that and he expects the pros to struggle as well.
“I even felt it after the WSP, when I was 14 weeks straight, and fought in the Europeans,” said the 24-year-old, who was speaking at the launch of the IABA’s Let’s KO Bullying campaign at the National Stadium in Dublin on Tuesday.
“I felt the pace difference in the first fight, the first three fights, and the final was the only time I felt comfortable.
“I don’t feel I performed in the Europeans even though I won gold and got best boxer. I felt the pace was a big part of that going from five rounds to three.
“If these pros, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Frampton, feel like they’re going to come down from 12 rounds to three rounds they have another thing coming.”
Conlan does feel that it’s unfair to pit fighters who can earn millions against others who get by on grants or even work normal day jobs for a living.
Despite that though, he still has no difficulty visualising himself being crowned champion, upgrading the bronze he won at flyweight at the London Game four years ago.
“I’m confident in my ability no matter who I fight,” he said. “These Games are going to be exciting for me.
“I believe I’ll go there and win every fight convincingly, I believe I’ll pick up my gold medal and I believe I’ll be walking down Copacabana beach with my baby and my medal and some pineapples!
“That’s my dream. It’s going to be interesting to be there and actually go through something I have gone through in my head a million times.
“I see myself picking up the gold medal - I can see myself on the podium crying my eyes out when the tricolour is being raised and the anthem’s on.
“I can see that; it’s a lifelong dream and it’s in my head the whole time. When that actually comes true and does happen I do think I’ll feel very emotional.”
