Jack Woolley saw his Olympics come to an end with a loss to Spain's Adrian Vicente Yunta in the first repechage round of taekwondo's men’s 58kg division at Paris 2024.
The Dubliner had lost his last-16 match this morning to Azerbaijan’s Gashim Magomedov but the latter’s advancement to the finals earned Woolley a reprieve for a path towards a potential bronze medal contest via the repechage.
Had Woolley beaten Vicente Yunta, the 25-year-old would have advanced to a bronze medal match at the Grand Palais venue.
Woolley fell 6-2 behind in the first round but drew himself level with a turning kick to the body. However, he narrowly lost the round 10-9.
The second round was now must-win but in a cagey opening, he trailed 2-0 following Vicente Yunta’s kick to the body.
Woolley clawed back two consecutive points via Gam-jeom in quick succession but with both level at the close of the round, Vicente Yunta won the round by superiority and thereby the match, confirming the Irishman's elimination.
Paris 2024 marked his second Olympics. Three years ago in his Games debut at Tokyo 2020, Woolley lost at the last-16 stage against Argentina's Lucas Guzman having led late in the final round and had spoken about how "devastated" he was by the outcome having missed the repechage round on that occasion.
Earlier on Wednesday, Woolley lost both rounds of his last-16 fight to Magomedov in the morning session.
He fell 4-0 behind in the first round, three points for a head kick from his opponent, before Woolley nicked a point back.
But Magomedov was awarded a further three points after a video request was accepted and reviewed in his favour.
Woolley was gutsy in the remainder of the round but lost it 7-4, meaning he would have to win the second to avoid defeat.
He started the second round well with a head kick landing early to put him 3-0 up.
However, Magomedov turned it around to lead a high-scoring second round 11-9.
Woolley then requested a review of his own which was rejected and he lost the second round 12-6 as his opponent prevailed.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport in the aftermath of that round-of-16 defeat, Woolley indicated that being in Paris at all was a victory in itself given "the tough space in life" he was in earlier this year.
"I'm obviously very upset but you know what, I'm super proud of myself. Six months ago I wouldn't have seen myself here in the headspace that I'm in," he said.
"I wasn't sure about whether I was going to make it to the Games because we didn't qualify through ranking and I had to go to the Olympic qualifiers and I hit a really tough space in life in general.
"It was like, do you know what, just give it this one last go. I had an amazing team with me in Sport Ireland to work with me and just get me in the right space.
"To come here today, that was my main goal to come in and enjoy it and just show myself that six months ago I wasn't here. I've trained the best I've ever trained. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in.
"I fought that opponent three times now. I've won one, he's won two now. It's devastating because you know you can beat him on the day. He's obviously been planning for me as I've been planning for him and the result didn't go the way I wanted."
Woolley also expressed gratitude towards the family members who attended his match including his grandfather and said that their presence would be a comfort to him unlike at Tokyo which was a more isolating experience at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"It's a tough one to take, it hasn't sunk in yet but I'd like to just say thanks to everybody that came here today," he said.
"It was the first time that my grandfather had seen me fight in person and my parents have rarely ever come to see me fight. It's just nice to have them here so at least I'm not like Tokyo going back to a hotel room and just being upset.
"I can try and just enjoy my time with them and when the time is right to analyse what happens, then I'll do it then.
"It's been very difficult for me to continue training at such a high level. Last year we had to get in with ranking and I ended up having to do over 20 international competitions and that was just very difficult on me.
"But we got through it. I'm just super proud of myself to be here, a two-time Olympian. I'm the first person in my sport to do it for Ireland. All I can say is I'm proud of myself.
"I sat down last night and just didn't want to speak to anyone. I spoke to my phone, I looked at myself in the camera and I talked to myself and I just said 'look just do it’. I've done it. It’s not the result I wanted but it is what it is."
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