Ireland pick up four European silver medals
Ireland had to settle for four silver medals in today’s European Women’s Youth and Junior Championships finals in Italy.
Cheyanne O’Neill, Amy Broadhurst, Kristina O’Hara and Shaneen Flynn lost their respective finals despite big performances in Assisi.
Broadhurst was beaten in controversial circumstances after being shaded on a split decision in her battle of the southpaws with Valery Manchak of the Ukraine.
Broadhurst dominated the first two rounds of this contest and held a (20-18,19-19,20-18) lead. She also had the better of most of the exchanges in the third but took a standing count after she was caught on the ropes near the end of the frame.
The action was stopped in the fourth after Manchak took two solid shots to the head, with many observers believing that the Ukrainian was going to take a count. However, the ref, incredulously, gave Broadhurst a count.
The final scores were 38-38,38-38 and 39-37 to Manchak and when it went back to the judges the Ukrainian champion got the verdict.
O’Neill lost on a unanimous decision (40-36,40-36,40-36) to Sweden’s Agnes Alexiusson in the lightweight class, but the Athlone BC lightweight can be very proud of her gutsy performance against the best in the world at this level.
Alexiusson claimed AIBA World Youth gold last year and she will also represent her country at the 2014 Youth Olympics. O’Neill took the fight to her illustrious opponent through the entire four rounds, but the Swede, although O’Neill also had her moments, picked off her shots en route to victory.
O’Hara was beaten on a majority decision by Russia’s Exaterina Paltseva. The final scores (38-38,37-39,36-40).
A tricky encounter against a tricky southpaw, O’Hara found the target with head shots in all four rounds of this contest. The Belfast flyweight also connected with some neat lefts.
But Palsteva, who will now represent her country at the Youth Olympics in China next month as the current European champion, was making her own impression off the back and front foot.
The Russian took rounds one and two on two of the judges’ cards and claimed the third across the board. O’Hara piled on the pressure in the fourth, and while she managed to earn a 10-9 score off one of the judges, the other two judges leaned in favour of Palsteva.
Flynn, Ireland’s sole representative in the Junior finals, lost her 54kg decider to Anastashia Artamonova.
The talented Russian southpaw, a silver medallist at the 2013 AIBA World Junior Championships, was awarded a unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-26) against the Dubliner, who was appearing in her first major international tournament.
Flynn gave a fine account of herself throughout the three rounds today. Once again giving away an advantage in height and reach, the Crumlin BC dynamo battled her way into the combat zone to connect with solid left and right combinations throughout the three rounds.
It was a gallant performance against a World finalist from the Irish teenager.
Ireland will be taking home four silver and four bronze medals from Assisi. Irish women’s boxing is proudly sponsored byQuick Park of Dublin Airport.
The Irish squad are due home via Dublin Airport at 10:55pm tomorrow evening, July 28th.
European Women’s Youth and Junior Championships Assisi, Italy
July 20th
Junior
Q/Final
48kg Kelsey Leonard (Ireland) lost to Melissa Hall (England) 0-3
Last 16
50kg Caitlin Sweeney (Ireland) lost to Ebonie Jones (England) 0-3
July 22nd
Q/Finals
46kg Shauna Blaney (Ireland) beat Beatrix Kalmav (Hungary) 3-0
52kg Natasha Logan (Ireland) lost to Anna Krsnoperava (Russia) 1-2
54kg Seaneen Flynn (Ireland) beat Merve Turkmen (Turkey) 3-0
57kg Orla Garvey (Ireland) lost to Vera Kopeikina (Russia) 0-3
60kg Shannon Reilly (Ireland) beat Filip Madalina (Romania) TKO3
63kg Natasha O’Reilly (Ireland) lost to Mellissa Freitag (Germany) 1-2
70kg Aoife Burke (Ireland) beat Gitta Cseri (Hungary) TKO3
July 24th
S/Finals
46kg Shauna Blaney (Ireland) lost to Baretta Maddalena (Italy) 0-3
54kg Seaneen Flynn (Ireland) beat Cammarota Matilde (Italy) 3-0
60kg Shannon Reilly (Ireland) lost to Us Urguya (Turkey) 0-3
70kg Aoife Burke (Ireland) lost to Aneta Gojko (Poland) 1-2
July 27th
Final
54kg Seaneen Flynn (Ireland) lost to Anastashia Artamonova (Russia) 0-3
Youth
July 21st
Last 16
51kg Kristina O’Hara (Ireland) beat Istik Neriman (Turkey) 2-1
54kg Siabh Greene (Ireland) lost to Malys Gangloff (France) 0-3
75kg Niamh Folan (Ireland) lost to Elisaveta Saiushkina (Ukraine) 1-2
July 23rd
Q/Finals
48kg Lauren Hogan (Ireland) beat Elit Belismen (Turkey) 2-1
51kg Kristina O’Hara (Ireland) beat Hayley Ward (England) TKO4
57kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) beat Annunziata Esposito (Italy) TKO4
60kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Ireland) beat Iryna Yaskova (Ukraine) 3-0
64kg Ciara Sheedy (Ireland) lost to Marryeva Jabrailova (Azerbaijan) 1-2
July 26th
S/Finals
48kg Lauren Hogan (Ireland) lost to Wiktoria Sadej (Poland) 0-3
51kg Kristina O’Hara (Ireland) beat Hanna Ohota (Ukraine) 2-1
57kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) beat Fina Westerlind (Sweden) 3-0
60kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Ireland) beat Justyna Pietas (Poland) 3-0
July 27th
Finals
51kg Kristina O’Hara (Ireland) lost to Exaterina Paltseva (Russia) 0-2
57kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) lost to Valery Manchak (Ukraine) 1-2
60kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Ireland) lost Agnes Alexiusson (Sweden) 0-3
Irish squad
Youths
48kg Lauren Hogan cpt (St Brigid’s Edenderry) (Bronze)
51kg Kristina O’Hara (Emerald) (Silver)
54kg Siabh Greene (Ballinacarrow)
57kg Amy Boardhurst (Dealgan) (Silver)
60kg Cheyanne O’Neill (Athlone) (Silver)
64kg Ciara Sheedy (Aglish)
75kg Niamh Folan (Connemara)
Juniors
46kg Shauna Blaney (Navan) (Bronze)
48kg Kelsey Leonard (Curragh)
50kg Caitlin Sweeney (St Brigid’s Kildare)
52kg Natasha Logan (Ryston)
54kg Seaneen Flynn (Crumlin) (Silver)
57kg Orla Garvey (Dealgan)
60kg Shannon Reilly (Bray) (Bronze)
63kg Natasha O’Reilly St Brigid’s (Kildare)
70kg Aoife Burke (St Mary’s) (Bronze)
Team Manager Maura Campbell
Coaches: John McCormack, Noreen Quinn, Antoinette Fay, Liam Brereton
