Aidan Walsh was 'lost' to boxing before making stunning Olympic U-turn

Aidan Walsh's Olympic dreams seemed dashed as he retired due to injury frustrations, but a gentle approach has seen the Tokyo bronze medallist secure his spot for Paris. After clinching his qualifier box-off victory in Bangkok on Sunday, the Belfast boxer disclosed that he had hung up his gloves five or six months ago. However, Walsh's comeback means he is now part of a historic group of 10 Irish boxers heading to the Games.

It wasn't until the Ireland squad was preparing for Tenerife towards November's end that discussions between Walsh, Heberle, and head coach Zaur Antia began, reports the Irish Mirror. "He came to me and said 'I'm not finished, the business is not done'," Heberle, who also served as the Irish Chef de Mission at the Tokyo Games, recalled.

"All of our athletes are different, they come from different backgrounds and they have a different DNA, different personalities. Aidan is complex but he is an outstanding person and an outstanding talent. He's a different type of boxer and we see that. Kennedy, aiding Walsh since 2015, marvelled at the astonishing turnaround achieved in the last six months. "Absolutely but look, I've never doubted Aidan Walsh's ability," Kennedy expressed.

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