COLCHESTER'S Lewis Richardson is not giving up on his Olympic dream despite suffering a narrow defeat at the Boxing Road to Paris Olympic qualifying event in Italy.

The Great Britain light middleweight boxer was narrowly beaten 3:1 in a fiercely-contested bout with India’s Dev Nishant, on the third day of the contest.

Writing on social media, Richardson said: 'Not to be tonight unfortunately. Regroup and go again, the Olympic dream isn’t over yet'.

 

Richardson, 26, exited the competition, being held in Busto Arsizio.

The tournament in Italy is overseen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is officially known as the ‘1st World Qualification Tournament’.

Richardson won silver at the World Boxing Cup in Sheffield in January.

 

The former Thomas Lord Audley School pupil was part of a Great Britain team that won a total of 21 medals at the inaugural World Boxing Cup.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist returned to the ring last November, following a year out of action.