Credit: Boxing AIBA (Flickr)

A Team GB boxer from Croydon has won a bronze medal in the Rio Olympics but lost his chance of going through to the finals.

Joshua Buatsi managed to bag a bronze medal at yesterday’s fight against Kazakhstan’s Adilbek Niyazymbetov in the men’s Light Heavyweight semi-finals.

Both Buatsi and Niyazymbetov walked out with a bronze medal after three rounds, but the latter has scored more points qualifying him to go to fight for a Gold medal in the finals.

After losing, Buatsi said: “I’m disappointed but a bronze medal surpasses all expectations.

“Once I got here and I was winning, I was aiming for gold and nothing else, but coming out no-one expected a medal. I did the hard work and I gave it my best shot.”

Buatsi was guaranteed a bronze after his victory against Algerian Abdelhafid Benchabla in the quarter-finals. He had scored 30-26 in his favour.

The 23-year-old boxer had attended Edenham High school in Croydon from 2004-2009.

The school previously told East London Lines of how “immensely proud” it is to see a former student compete at the Olympics and reach this stage.

American former boxer Floyd Mayweather had also told Buatsi that he is a “great fighter” and “a future world champion”.

Buatsi is the first British Olympian to win a medal in the boxing category for Rio 2016.