Ireland's dreadful start to the Olympic boxing competition continued as light-flyweight favourite Paddy Barnes crashed out in his opening bout at Rio Centro.
Barnes, the two-time light-flyweight bronze medallist, dropped a split decision to Spain's Samuel Carmona in a thrilling encounter that split the ringside judges.
It was the second major setback for the Irish, already stunned by a positive drugs test for one as-yet unnamed member of the team, who has been provisionally suspended pending the results of a 'B' sample.
The 29-year-old Barnes dropped a tight first round on two cards and looked tired in the second as the slick Carmona nailed him with a series of looping left-hands.
Incredibly the judges drew him level going into the last, and at the end of an increasingly frantic third both men raised their arms in the expectation of being given the verdict.
The judges sided with the Spaniard, leaving Barnes, who was rumoured to have suffered a virus in the build-up to the Games, to contemplate his future.
Earlier, Galal Yafai was the first British boxer to exit the tournament despite a courageous display against accomplished Cuban Joahnys Argilagos.
Yafai, a surprise qualifier for the Olympics given his relative lack of top-level experience, performed admirably in his attempts to take the fight to his Cuban opponent.
But Argilagos got into his stride and caught the judges' eyes with the sharper work, earning a split decision victory.
Source: PA
