Gerry Hamill competed in the men’s lightweight boxing at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, losing a 4-1 majority decision to the tough Yugoslav Ace Rusevski in a bout he later admitted he lost through his own tactical error. From the Holy Family Club in Belfast and coached by the legendary Gerry Storey, Hamill opened in sensational fashion – forcing Rusevski to take two standing counts in the opening round. The Yugoslav recovered in the second round and landed a standing count of his own before dominating the third.

Hamill candidly acknowledged that Storey had told him exactly how to handle Rusevski: ‘I was fighting the wrong fight and not keeping him at the end of my left hand at distance and that was to cost me in the end.’