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List of Irish losses to Russia during doping regime

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The sporting World was shocked a few days ago when the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) recommended that Russian be barred entirely from the upcoming Rio Olympics.

Russia’s Track and Field athletes are already banned from the Games next month, but there are now calls for the entire team to be removed.

These calls are based on the WADA-commissioned ‘McLaren Report’ which found that Russia operated a state-endorsed culture of performance-enhancing doping that saw the Russian Sport’s Ministry direct, control and oversee the manipulation of urine tests to enable drugged athletes evade detection.

A frighteningly large scheme, it began in late 2011 across the “vast majority” of Olympic sports and was only unearthed due to the whistleblowing of Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, who had been involved in the regime

From a boxing perspective, the report found that there were 7 falsified tests since late 2011. The number is minuscule compared to the likes of athletics and weightlifting, but it is still worrying.

While obviously the majority of Russian Olympic boxers are therefore clean athletes, and all athletes have the right to be innocent until proven guilty, the alleged cheating of their governing body and team-mates means that all results involving Russian boxers will be viewed with cynicism.

In the period of doping and falsified tests, Irish boxers have fought a number of Russians in major tournaments, with wins and losses. Below is a list of all Irish defeats to Russia since 2012. We are in absolutely no way claiming that these results are wrongful, or that any of these Russian fighters doped, but with the spotlight currently on Russia, we felt that a list of these results would be of interest to Irish boxing fans as we await further details and decisions from WADA, Russia, and the IOC.

London Olympics 2012
69kg Last 16
Adam Nolan lost to Andrey Zamkovoy (9:18)

European Championships 2013
49kg Final
Paddy Barnes lost to David Ayrapetyan (W/O)

World Championships 2013
52kg Quarter Final
Mick Conlan lost to Vladimir Nikitin (UD)

European Championships 2014
54kg Semi Final
Michaela Walsh lost to Elena Saveleva (UD)

European Games 2015
56kg Round of 32
Kurt Walker lost to Bakhtovar Nazirov (SD)

54kg Last 16
Michaela Walsh lost to Elena Saveleva (UD)

51kg Quarter Final
Ceire Smith lost to Sayana Sagatayeva (SD)

49kg Final
Brendan Irvine lost to Bator Sagaluyev (SD)

European Championships 2015
91kg Last 16
Darren O’Neill lost to Evgeniy Tishchenko (UD)

64kg Semi Final
Dean Walsh lost to Vitaliy Dunaytsev (UD)

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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