“Having won a bronze medal is an indescribable feeling,? the 20-year old, who was defeated by Korea?s Soon-Chul Han in his semi-final, said. ?I can’t find a word for it. Lithuania was without a (boxing) medal for 44 years so I think I made my country and myself proud.?
Also in the ring was Cuba?s Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana, who proved too much for Ireland?s Michael Conlan as he won his flyweight (52kg) semi-final. After winning every round the 18-year-old Youth Olympic champion made it comfortably into the finals and is guaranteed at least a silver medal. “I was really focused on the fight and the tactics we had decided upon and we stuck to the game plan. It was much tougher than I expected but overall it was a good match for me,” he said. The final will be one of the last events of the Games on Sunday.
Over at the BMX track, the competition ended in true style with plenty of speed. Youth Olympian Twan van Gendt from the Netherlands finished in fifth place after a bad start and a near crash. Though for Twan, who?s been plagued with injury after injury, finishing fifth was a huge accomplishment.
“I’m with the last eight for the third time in my life, after all my injuries, it just went super. And I came fifth at the Olympic Games, for me that is not really a disappointment.? Next stop, Rio 2016.
There were even more Youth Olympic Games athletes in action at the Aquatics Centre as the men?s 10m platform diving qualifications got underway, featuring China?s Qiu Bo and Great Britain?s Tom Daley. Nineteen-year-old Qiu qualified in first place after performing to perfection, while Tom edged through in fifteenth place. They both perform in the semi-finals on Saturday morning.
While over at the Wembley Arena, Russia?s Ksenia Dudkina and Alina Makarenko and Canada?s Katrina Cameron all helped their teams into the rhythmic gymnastics group finals taking place on Sunday. Could another Youth Olympic medal be on the cards? We think so!