The 2024 Paris Olympics was all tears for Team Great Britain’s boxer Rosie Eccles, as her bout against Poland’s Aneta Rygielska ended with a controversial decision. The Welsh native missed out on the Tokyo Olympics three years ago because of illness and injury, and her time in the Olympic village this year fighting at the women’s 66kg ended with a 3-2 split decision loss. 

Interestingly, this came less than 24 hours after her Team GB colleague Charley Davison suffered yet another, you guessed it, controversial points defeat against Turkey’s Hatice Akbas, which was a 54kg contest on the opening day! An extremely bad day at the office for boxers from the country, right? Well, if anything remotely good came out of it—it would be people talking about her. So, here’s everything you need to know about the 28-year-old.

Rosie Eccles’ controversial defeat in the 2024 Olympics

Rosie Eccles’ loss at the 2024 Olympics is causing quite a stir. The Welsh boxer got knocked out of the women’s 66kg division after a split decision went 3-2 in favor of Poland’s Aneta Rygielska. The crowd in North Paris Arena wasn’t happy at all, and you could hear the boos. Rosie was visibly upset and said she was in shock, “A boxer knows when they’ve won a fight. I knew I had won, so I’m really, really shocked. It feels like I’m in a bad dream right now.”

It was a messy situation because Rygielska had a point taken off for holding, and a Canadian judge had actually scored it in Rosie’s favor by four points. It’s even more heartbreaking for Rosie since she missed the Tokyo Games due to illness and injury. She said, “I’ve given my whole life for a gold medal at the Olympics… I really would’ve been proud of that.” 

Rosie Eccles’ boxing record and achievements

Rosie Eccles has had a pretty incredible boxing career, marked by her resilience and sheer determination. She’s got a record of 51 wins and 24 losses, and her journey has definitely been a mix of ups and downs. Even though local gyms were initially reluctant to train female boxers, Rosie didn’t let that stop her and ended up becoming the Welsh national champion.

She’s scored some major wins along the way, like a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and both silver and bronze medals at the European Championships. On top of that, she’s also been the 3 Nations Champion and Welsh Champion, showing she’s consistently at the top of her game.

Getting to the Olympics hasn’t been easy for her, though. She’s battled Covid-19 three times and dealt with nerve damage that messed up her training. But despite all that, she pulled through and grabbed a bronze medal at the 2023 European Games, which secured her spot for Paris 2024.

Rosie’s boxing career isn’t just about her skill and dedication—it’s also about her ability to push through tough times. Her favorite fight was a 2021 match against Turkish Olympic Champion Buznaz, and it really shows how she thrives under pressure.

How did Rosie Eccles start boxing? Background and personal life

Rosie Eccles’ entry into boxing was anything but typical. Growing up in Chepstow, she was all about athletics and swimming, but an injury at 12 put a stop to her running dreams. By the time she was 15, she stumbled into a boxercise class and discovered a new passion. Even though she won the novice Welsh title at just 16, things weren’t always smooth sailing.

Rosie was so determined to train that she’d sneak out of her house at 3 a.m., hop on her moped, and head to Newport for early morning sessions. She jokes about having to wheel her moped down the road to keep it quiet, showing just how committed she was. Her hard work eventually paid off when she managed to convince a local gym to let her train, even though they were initially hesitant about training girls.

Rosie’s journey is a testament to her drive and resilience. “Times are changing,” she says, highlighting her role in breaking down barriers for women in boxing. Her early struggles and victories were just the beginning, setting her up for success from local titles to international recognition.

Alright, who is Rosie Eccles? She is a fighter not just in the ring but in life, who traversed through numerous challenges to make her way to the Olympics this year. While it’s unfortunate that her time in the games ended too swiftly, there’s always tomorrow and by the things she has done, it’s definitely not the end to her Olympic story! What do you think?