Joyce wins European silver
John Joyce lost out in his bid for welterweight gold to Vincenzo Lizzi at the European Youth Championships in Croatia today.
The Italian 2014 Youth Olympian earned a unanimous decision in the 69kg battle of the southpaws in Zagreb.
Joyce, seeking to become the first Irish boxer to win successive European Schoolboy, European Junior and European Youth gold medals, showed his slick counter-punching skills and accuracy to edge the first round of today’s final on two of the judges’ cards.
But the constant aggression of his opponent paid off in the second, as the Italian forced the St Michael’s Athy man to take a standing count off a left hook to claim the round 10-9 across the board.
Joyce once again picked off some neat shots in the third. The current European Junior champion went for broke in the final 30 seconds, but Lizzi was also finding the target en route to winning the round and the gold medal.
Joyce, who will be taking home silver, was the only Irish boxer to medal at the 41-nation tournament.
Tom Hayes and Jim O’Neill were working Joyce’s corner today and the Irish corner at the Championships.
“John had a good first round and he won it with the judges, but he got caught in the second. He came back in the third and gave it everything,” said Hayes.
The Irish squad are due to arrive home at 9pm tomorrow evening, October 26th, via Dublin Airport.
European Youth Championships 2014 Zagreb, Croatia
October 18th (Preliminaries)
52kg Willie Donoghue (Ireland) beat Sebastigan Sacrici (Serbia) 3-0
60kg James Cleary (Ireland) beat Asefi Soldimann (Germany) 3-0
71kg Fergus Quinn (Ireland) beat Bence Papi (Hungary) 3-0
October 19th (last 32)
56kg Francis Cleary (Ireland) beat Katin Arsenov (Bulgaria) 2-1
69kg John Joyce (Ireland) beat Ogulcan Ozturk (Turkey) 3-0
81kg Cormac Long (Ireland) lost to Algirdas Daniulus (Lithuania) 0-3
91kg James Hughes (Ireland) beat Alexsander Ceiejewski (Poland) 3-0
October 20th (last 16)
60kg James Cleary (Ireland) beat Marsel Tertejyan (Denmark) 3-0
75kg Fergus Quinn (Ireland) lost to Viktar Dziushkevich (Belarus) 0-3
91kg James Hughes (Ireland) lost to Muhammed Baki Yalcin (Turkey) 0-3
October 21st (last 16)
52kg Willie Donoghue (Ireland) beat Yanardag Ugurcan (Turkey) 3-0
56kg Francis Cleary (Ireland) lost to Rexhildo Zeneli (Albania) 0-3
64kg Gary Cully (Ireland) beat Matej Simec (Croatia) 3-0
69kg John Joyce (Ireland) beat Peter George (Scotland) W/O
October 22nd
Q/Finals
49kg Darryl Moran (Ireland) lost to Niall Farrell (England) 1-2
52kg Willie Donoghue (Ireland) lost to Dan Asenov (Bulgaria) 0-3
60kg James Cleary (Ireland) lost to Maxim Krivisov (Russia) 1-2
64kg Gary Cully (Ireland) lost to Denys Pesotsky (Ukraine) 0-3
69kg John Joyce (Ireland) beat Luka Prtenjaca (Croatia) W/O
(Irish times apply)
October 24th
S/Finals
69kg John Joyce (Ireland) beat Giorgi Kharabadzs (Georgia) 2-1
October 25th
Finals
69kg John Joyce (Ireland) lost to Vincenzo Lizzi (Italy) 0-3
Irish squad
49kg Darryl Moran (Illies GG)
52kg Willie Donoghue (St Michael’s Athy)
56kg Francis Cleary (Olympic)
60kg James Cleary (Olympics)
64kg Gary Cully (St David’s)
69kg John Joyce (St Michael’s Athy) (Silver)
75kg Fergus Quinn (Camlough)
81kg Cormac Long (Rathkeale)
91kg James Hughes (Ryston)
Team manager: Sean Canavan
Coaches: Jim O’Neill and Tom Hayes
Physio: Eoin Naughton
R&J Dermot McDermot
