Michael Nevin has medal hopes cut short at EU Championships
Michael Nevin has bowed out of the EU Championships in Valladolid, with a reopened cut cutting short his quarter-final and halting his medal hopes.
Less than an hour previously Lisburn bantam Kurt Walker had cruised to a medal with a win over Pole Jaroslaw Iwanow, while Galway welter Kieran Molloy sealed his silverware on Tuesday. Nevin, however, was unable to join them after being edged out by England’s Carl Fail in cruel circumstances.
It was a furious start in Spain with Fail, a silver medallist at welter earlier this year at the European U22s, attacking Nevin from the off. The Portlaoise talent would respond and both fighters would swing in huge shots in a rather wild opener.
Nevin began to his timing right in the second, a round in which he was initally on top, before Fail began to drag him into a close-quarters contest. Disaster would then strike a cut the Irishman had suffered in his Last 16 bout. The fight was halted for a doctor’s inspection and the medical professional ordered the cessation of the bout just under two minutes into the stanza
Going to the cards for the first round and the two minutes of the second, Fail was declared the winner on a 3-1 split, with scores of 20-18 x3, 18-20, and 19-19.
The English fighter will now go on to face Italy’s European silver medallist Salvatore Cavallaro in the semis.
Tomorrow is a rest day in Valladolid before the semis and finals this weekend.
Walker will box in the semi-finals on Saturday versus Georgian Artum Gomtsyan while Molloy will face England’s Pat McCormack.
EU Elite Championships Valladolid, Spain
November 9th
Prelims (last 16)
52kg Conor Quinn (Ireland) lost to Rosenov Banbakov (Bulgaria) 1-4
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria) 5-0
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Frazer Clarke (England) 1-4
November 10th
Prelims (last 16)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Ruben Veciunoa (Belgium) 5-0
91kg Kirill Afanasev (Ireland) beat David Michalek (Slovakia) 4-1
November 11th
Prelims (last 16)
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) beat Petr Novak (Czech Republic) 5-0
November 12th
Prelims (last 16)
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Stephan Nikitin (Germany) 5-0
November 13th
Q/Finals
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Dmitry Galogot (Moldova) 0-5
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Vincenzo Arecchiai (Italy) 3-1-1
November 14th
Q/Finals
91kg Kirill Afanasev (Ireland) lost to Toni Filipi (Croatia) 0-5
November 15th
Q/Finals
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Jaroslav Iwanow (Poland) 5-0
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) lost to Carl Fail (England) 1-3
November 17th
S/Finals
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) v Artyush Gomtsyan (Georgia)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) v Pat McCormack (England)
Irish squad
52kg Conor Quinn (Clonard BC)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal BC) (Bronze, at least)
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise BC)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard BC) (Bronze, at least)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise BC)
91kg Kirill Afanasev (Smithfield BC)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel BC)
Team Manager: Stephen Molloy
Coaches: John Conlan & Eoin Pluck
Physiotherapist: Seamus Caffrey
Team Doctor: Jim Clover- Team Doctor
Sports Physiologist: Damian Martin
Referee & Judge: Jim Murrin
Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)
