THERE were none of the tears we saw in Tokyo as Jack Woolley tried to make sense of his Olympic exit at Grand Palais on Wednesday.
“I’m holding them back,” he smiled.
Then, three years ago, it was instantaneous and uncontrollable trauma. Woolley travelled to Tokyo in impressive form, he was the poster boy of the Irish team, his profile surging spectacularly from relative unknown to name on everybody’s lips in the months before.
And then came the fall. That’s how cruel sport, particularly Olympic sport, can be.
The 25-year-old has rebuilt in the time between, though the last leg towards Paris was not without turbulence either as physical and mental issues left hopes of Olympic redemption little more than a pipe dream not so long ago.
Against 10th seed Gashem Magomedov, Woolley came up against an opponent at the peak of his powers – yet the Dubliner was afforded another chance when the Azeri made it to the final, granting him a repechage with a possible bronze medal bout on offer.
However, Woolley again came up short in a tight, tactical showdown with Vicente Yunta last night, the Spaniard advancing by the narrowest of margins.
“I don’t think anybody comes to the Olympics to not get a medal.
“I’m obviously devastated but if you’d told me six months ago that I’d be here in the first place, I’d laugh at you. To go out against an opponent who I know is really tough because we’ve fought each other – that’s the third time now – it was 1-1 going into that, and unfortunately today it didn’t go according to plan.”
However, the road that brought him to Paris remains a source of pride, even in defeat.
“Three years ago, if I was having this interview I was in tears, but I’m a different person to what I was three years ago and that’s something to be really, really proud of.
“I went into this to enjoy it, because six months ago I wasn’t in the best head space. I wasn’t in the best physical condition. I’d had to make weight over 20 times last year - 58 kilos for me is pretty tough, it’s about a six kilo cut, so it’s very draining on the body.
“At the end of last year I kind of had enough of it, and I used that time with an amazing team in Sport Ireland to get my head back in the game, to be the best I’ve ever been, the best shape I’ve ever been… this sport is just unpredictable.
“You can be in the best shape and just something doesn’t go your way, like a video replay, or your last-minute nerves or something like that. I’m not saying that happened to me, but you never know what happens on the day in this sport.
“That’s kind of why I love it.”
