Commonwealth Games: Disappointed Pritchard caught by surprise

New Zealand boxer Alexis Pritchard. Photo / Greg Bowker

New Zealand's standardbearer for women's boxing feels she let the sport down today.

Auckland's Alexis Pritchard, fighting in the 60kg class, was well beaten in her opening bout by Dominican dynamo Valerian Spicer, despite having what she reckoned one of her best first round draws and feeling confident before the fight.

The judges had Pritchard in front after the first two of four rounds before Spicer repeatedly clobbered her late on, leaving the New Zealander bitterly disappointed.

She was ranked second for the event, and was looking forward to a good tussle with top-ranked English fighter Natasha Jonas later in the event. As it happened Jonas was tipped out of the competition in the next bout, by Australian Shelley Watts.

''I've kind of blown it a bit to be honest," Pritchard said.

''I've missed a great opportunity for myself and Boxing New Zealand and women's boxing, so I'm sorry. I really wanted to bring home a medal and felt I had the goods. I just didn't have it this afternoon."

Pritchard, who was among the first group of women to fight at an Olympics, in London two years ago, was also the first New Zealander to appear in a Commonwealth Games ring.

She admitted Spicer caught her by surprise. She'd only seen a glimpse of her in action earlier this year but in the last two rounds ''I just rag dolled it".

''My feet were really slow today. I was getting hit and punished and when I was I the zone I wasn't doing enough. I probably looked terrible.

''In the last two rounds she just had a little more in the tank. It's completely frustrating."

Pritchard was at a loss to explain what went wrong.

''I felt really good this morning, had a session with Gary (Hermansson) our team psychologist, knew what I had to do, and had a really good warmup. Something just didn't fire."

Pritchard, 30, has her sights set on the Rio Olympics and feels she belongs in the sport and at the highest level.

Whether she needs to reconsider that remains to be seen. Today was neither the time or place for Pritchard to contemplate her future.

She'll need some time to get over a loss which could have a significant impact on that decision.