British boxer Ben Whittaker REFUSES to wear his silver medal on the podium and stuffs in his pocket

A British boxer stunned an Olympic audience tonight when he refused point-blank to wear his medal on the podium.

Ben Whittaker kept his head down throughout the ceremony and when his name was announced he collected his silver and stuffed it into his pocket as his fellow medallists looked on.

Whittaker, 24, of West Bromwich, looked crestfallen and barely raised his head to look at the Union Flag as it was unveiled next to the flags of the other medallists from Cuba, Azerbaijan and the Russian Olympic Committee.

Team GB boxer Ben Whittaker (far left) took off his silver medal after losing his light-heavyweight gold-medal fight

The 24-year-old took off his medal and stuck it in his pocket as fellow medallists looked on 

He produced his medal from his pocket and reluctantly held it for the photographers as the other three boxers hugged and smiled for the cameras, with medals around their necks.

Due to Covid safety rules, medal winners no longer have their awards placed around their necks by officials and dignitaries and instead the awards are presented to them to be self-placed.

Whittaker kept his hands in his pockets throughout the medal celebration for the light heavyweight medals and had earlier left the ring after his defeat to Arien Lopez of Cuba wiping away tears.

Whittaker was in tears after losing the final to Cuba’s Arlen Lopez via a split decision

One observer said: ‘I have been to Olympics over the last 25 years and witnessed many, many medal ceremonies but I have never seen anything like this.

‘It wasn’t fair to the other boxers and the Olympics. He needs to learn to accept this loss and come back stronger next time.’

Asked by Mail Online why he hadn’t worn his medal, Whittaker said: ‘Yeah, so, I didn’t win a gold.

‘I lost a gold, so to me it’s a failure so I am not going to celebrate silver at the moment. I am sure over the years I will look back and see what an achievement it is.’

Whittaker (left) called himself a ‘failure’ for picking up silver, saying ‘nobody trains for silver’

He added: ‘You don’t win silver…you lose gold. So that is why I was so emotional. Nobody trains for silver or bronze.

‘Everybody up here trained for the gold medal. I woke up this morning truly believing this was my time. I had the whole of the West Midlands behind me and Great Britain

‘Congratulations to Arien. It was his time. He is a great boxer. I just have to go back to the gym, change a few things, work harder and hopefully next time it will be my turn.’

When he appeared with the other medallists later, he was asked to wear the medal, but took it off immediately on leaving the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena and returned it to his pocket.

The 24-year-old (left) claimed he ‘woke up this morning truly believing this was my time’

He was born in Wolverhampton and said he got into boxing through his father’s love for the sport.

In an interview released by the Olympics 2020, he said: ‘I was in and out of trouble at school, very hyperactive and my mother couldn’t handle me.

‘So my dad took me down to the gym to burn off energy and gain some discipline. I haven’t looked back since.

‘Boxing is my life and I thank boxing for the opportunities it has given me. School was never for me, I needed to be active. Sitting in a classroom was a big no.’

He had told an interviewer in April about his ambitions which was ‘to win a gold medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, and to become world champion.’