Commonwealth Games 2014: Nicola Adams takes gold amid controversy

Walsh felt cheated by the split points decision going against her

Nicola Adams celebrates winning gold after beating Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland (Getty Images)

Nicola Adams was given an almighty scare before she fulfilled expectations and added the Commonwealth Games title to the Olympic gold medal she won in London two years ago.

The world No 1 in the women’s flyweight division was served with a sharp reminder that ranking counts for little once the first bell sounds when she was handed plenty of trouble in the final by the tenacious Michaela Walsh.

Bitterly disappointed after failing to claim Northern Ireland’s first Commonwealth boxing gold for women, Walsh felt cheated by the split points decision going against her. “She’s the Olympic champion and she was going to win it if it was close,” she said.

Adams, who appeared to coast in the closing stages after dominating the middle rounds of the fight, accepted that her status made her the fighter everyone wanted to beat and admitted that it had been a very close contest. “But I think I did enough to win,” she added.