Olympic Dream driving Martin McDonagh’s Mission Impossible
Martin McDonagh Olympic dream is helping him achieve the impossible.
The Tuam-born Crumlin-trained super heavyweight has proved one of the stories of the Olympic Qualifiers thus far, progressing to the last 16 by winning his first-ever elite-level international bouts.
It’s a continuation of the meteoric rise that saw him claim Novice, Under-22, Senior, and Elite titles in just over a year and under a dozen fights.
The talented 21-year-old understands the surprise around his success, noting a boxer with limited experience shouldn’t be reaching the levels he’s reached.
However, ‘Big Mac’ points out he is driven by a dream, and that, along with his talent has helped him overcome seasoned opponents such as Yusuf Acik and Ferely Ali Feliz.
Speaking to Neil Loughran of the Irish News, McDonagh said: “If it was all about experience, I’d be gone in the first round. I have to focus on myself, the coaches come up with a game-plan.
“Look, all these guys have more experience than I have, but it’s just… talent. It shouldn’t be possible for me to box at this standard for the amount of fights I have – I’m just thankful. This is the place where dreams can come to reality – if you dream big enough and you push yourself every step of the way, you’re going to get to where your dream is.”
To progress within one win of an Olympic spot, McDonagh will have to produce another big performance as he faces Russian born Bahrain boxer, and Olympian, Danis Latypov on Saturday.
