British boxer Ben Whittaker refused to wear his silver medal on the podium Wednesday and instead stuffed it in his pocket and cried — calling himself a “failure” for losing to Team Cuba’s Arlen Lopez, reports said.
“You don’t win silver, you lose gold. I’m very disappointed – I feel like a failure,” the 24-year-old told reporters following his second place finish in the light-heavyweight contest, BBC reported.
“You’re in this game to win gold. I don’t want to feel like this again. I’m going to put this to the back of my mind. I’ll come back, trust me.”
While on the podium, Whittaker reluctantly took the silver medal out of his pocket and held it for photographers while athletes from the Russia Olympic Committee and Azerbaijan beamed with their prizes around their necks
“Come on Ben enjoy it, you’ll never get this moment back!” a coach watching in the stands screamed in the background as Whittaker pouted.
He later appeared to regret his public display of disappointment but said he couldn’t bear to celebrate silver.
“I don’t want to look like a baby or a spoiled brat but I am so upset that I didn’t win the gold. I feel like I lost gold. I can’t celebrate silver… I was doing it for everybody at home and I felt like a failure,” he told the outlet.
Follow all the 2020 Olympics action
“At the time, I should have put this beautiful silver medal round my neck and smiled because this is not just for me, it’s for the country.
“When I look back in a few years, it will probably feel like a great achievement, but I was so upset that I couldn’t enjoy it.”
He congratulated Lopez for a win well earned, admitting he “didn’t have the right game plan” and that his competitor “was a lot better than I thought.”
“I want to thank God for putting me in this position and everyone in Great Britain for getting behind me,” he said.
“Sorry for making you wake-up and seeing me let you down.”
