Boxer Michael Conlan handed maximum fine for Olympics outburst

Belfast boxer Michael Conlan has been fined almost £8,000 by the body which oversees amateur boxing after he branded them "cheats" in an emotional interview after his controversial Olympic defeat in Rio.

After losing his quarter final against Russian Vladimir Nikitin slammed the International Boxing Association (AIBA), accusing it of corruption.

“They’re known for being cheats and they’ll always be cheats," he said. "Amateur boxing stinks from the core to the top. . . today just showed how corrupt this organisation is.”

Now, he has been handed the maximum financial penalty the AIBA could impose, but he is unlikely to have to pay it.

After turning professional, the 25-year-old is no longer subject to the organisation's rules.

Conlan won bronze in the flyweight division at London 2012 and was expected to challenge for top honours at Rio, especially after winning gold at the World Championships in 2015.

However, the judges controversially awarded the win to the Russian fighter, leading Conlan to claim in a profanity-laced television that he had been "robbed" and "cheated".

The boxing competitions at the Rio games were somewhat marred by contentious judging decisions, including the heavyweight final, when Russian Evgeny Tischenko was judged to have beaten Kazakh Vassiliy Levit. leading to a chorus of boos and jeers from the crowd.

Several judges were even sent home by the AIBA in the latter stages of the competition.