Irish Olympian Jack Woolley is recovering from facial reconstructive surgery after he said he was assaulted while out in Dublin earlier this weekend.
Woolley, who competed in taekwondo at the Tokyo Olympics, posted a series of photos to Instagram showing the 22-year-old’s bloody face following the incident.
“Last night (Friday 13th August) I went for a meal with my friend,” Woolley captioned the photos. “Followed by a bar for a couple of drinks. Heading back along the River Liffey a gang of [roughly] 8-12 men and women in their 20s began violently attacking people along the boardwalk. Unfortunately I was victim to these random attacks as I was just walking bye I was punched in the face by one of these group members.
“Only one punch and followed by ‘my mistake wrong person’ then they continued to run off down the road attacking more civilians minding their own business.”
Wolley is expected to be discharged from a local hospital Sunday evening, according to his mother, Annette.
Jack Woolley reacts after competing in the Olympics. REUTERS“He said he was okay, and he’s going to get some sleep… we’re hoping that they’ll let him out today,” she told The Irish Times.
No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing, local police told the Irish times.
Officers arrived on the scene and administered first aid while they waited for an ambulance.
While representing Ireland in taekwondo at the 2020 Olympics, Woolley was eliminated in his opening fight against Argentinean Lucas Guzman in the 58kg division.
