Gallant Grainne Walsh produces brilliant come-from-behind Olympic Qualifier win
Grainne Walsh produced a sensational come-from-behind victory to progress to the last 16 of the Olympic Qualifiers in Italy today.
The Offally native trailed Stefanie Von Berge on all but one of the judges scorecards after the first round but wasn’t going to let her Olympic dream slip away, was the personification of determination and fired back to eventually move to within two wins of a place on the plane to Paris.
The St Mary’s Tallaght 66kg operator produced a sensational second round, letting lethal combinations go across an entertaining three minute spell to set up a grandstand final round.
Going into the last stanza level on three cards, up on one and down on one, it was all to play for, although Walsh wasn’t playing.
She continued to unleash pockets of fury on the tall German medical student, often finishing with the kind of right hands that can lead to standing eight counts.
To her credit, the serial underage medal winner from German, who had Irish man Eddie Bolger in her corner, ensured a tense result call out by finishing the third strong. However, the Irish star had done enough to win the round, win her first fight in the tournament and win a place in the last 16.
Three more Irish fighters are in action on a busy Friday. Light heavyweight, Keyln Cassidy will climb through the E-Work Arena, Busto Arsizio ropes for a second time looking to build on his last 64 win over Michail Tsamalidis on Monday.
The Waterford native boxes Guatemala’s Wyatt Trujillo, also in the morning session.
Daina Moorehouse and Jude Gallagher also fight for the second time in the tournament on a busy Friday for Team Ireland.
Standing between Enniskerry’s Moorehouse and a place in the last 16 is Tayonis Cedeno of Venezuela, they face off in a 51kg fight in the afternoon session.
Tyrone featherweight Gallagher is up against Mohammad Hussamuddin a two-time Commonwealth medal winner, who will have Bernard Dunne in his corner in the evening session.
1st Olympic World Qualifier Team:
50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow
54kg Jennifer Lehane, DCU Boxing Club, Dublin
66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin
51kg Sean Mari, Monkstown BC, Dublin
57kg Jude Gallagher, Two Castles ABC, Tyrone
71kg Aidan Walsh, Holy Family GG BC, Belfast
80kg Kelyn Cassidy, Saviours Crystal, Waterford
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin BC, Dublin
