Harrington becomes the third Irish fighter to make the quarter finals
By IABA Press Officer Bernard O’Neill
Irish team manager Anna Moore has hailed the performances of Kellie Harrington and Olympic champion Katie Taylor at the World Women’s Elite Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan today.
Harrington and Taylor recorded impressive wins to join Grainne Walsh in the quarter-finals of the 9th edition of the tournament.
All three Irish boxers will be back between the ropes tomorrow versus Kazakhstan and Mexico. Three wins will guarantee at least three bronze medals.
A win for Taylor will also ensure she joins Paddy Barnes, Brendan Irvine, Michael Conlan, David Oliver Joyce, Steven Donnelly and Joe Ward on the plane to the Rio Olympics.
Harrington produced a career-best performances this morning to post a unanimous decision over German light-welter Cindy Rogge and Taylor recorded a comprehensive victory over Argentina’s Dayana Sanchez.
The five-time World lightweight champion will now meet Mexico’s Victoria Torres tomorrow for a place at the 31st Olympiad and her sixth consecutive World medal.
Torres was beaten by Sanchez in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, but avenged the defeat earlier this year at the Americas Olympic qualifiers in Buenos Aires.
The Mexican lightweight was unlucky not to qualify for Rio in the Argentinian capital as she reached the final where she was beaten by Mikeala Mayer of the USA. A top two finish was enough for female boxers to qualify for August’s Olymics through their Continental tournaments, but Brazil’s Adriana Araujo took the one Rio 2016 host place for females in the lightweight class and only the gold medallist (Mayer) went through from Buenos Aires.
The top four (the semi-finalists) in the three Olympic weights for women – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight – qualify for Rio in Astana.
Walsh and Harrington meet Kazakhs Valentina Khalzova and Zarina Tsoloyeva in the non-Olympic welter and light-welter classes in the morning session which begins at 9am on Tuesday and Taylor versus Torres is the third fight in the evening session which begins at 2pm (Irish times apply) Click here for program.
“Kellie and Katie were absolutely superb today and we’re delighted with their performances and wins. It’s going to be another big day tomorrow and the girls will be really up for it.
“This is the first time that we have three into the quarter-finals of the World Elite Women’s Championships and we could have had more if some decisions had gone our way. Irish women’s boxing is moving in the right direction.”
AIBA World Women’s Championships Astana, Kazakhstan
May 19th (Last 64)
51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) lost to Ingrit Valencia (Colombia) 0-2
May 20th (Last 32)
54kg Dervla Duffy (Ireland) lost to Diletta Cipallane (Italy) 0-3
57kg Moira McElligot (Ireland) lost to Sati Burcu (Turkey) 1-2
64kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Austeja Auciute (Lithuania) 3-0
75kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Khadija Mardi (Morocco) 0-3
May 21st (Last 32)
48kg Donna Barr (Ireland) lost to Kim Klavel (Canada) 0-3
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Agnes Alexiusson (Sweden) 3-0
May 22nd (Last 16)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) beat Hanna Solecka (Poland) 3-0
May 23rd (last 16)
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Dayana Sanchez (Argentina) 3-0
64kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Cindy Rogge (Germany) 3-0
May 24th Q/Finals
64kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Zarina Tsoloyeva (Kazakhstan)
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Victoria Torres (Mexico)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) v Valentina Khalzova (Kazakhstan)
Irish squad
48kg Donna Barr (Twin Towns)
51kg Ceire Smith (Cavan)
54kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart)
57kg Moira McElligot (St Michael’s Athy)
60kg Katie Taylor (Bray)
64kg Kelly Harrington (Glasnevin)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
Team manager: Anna Moore
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, Gerry Storey, Pat McDonagh
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