McConnell Fights for a Medal on Busy Day for Irish at the European Championships

Jon McConnell will look to become a Continental and Commonwealth Games medal winner today.

The Commonwealth Champion boxes for a place on the European Championship podium on a busy day for the Irish in Sofia.

McConnell will be joined by Kellie McLoughlin, Jude Gallagher, Michaela Walsh and Gavin Rafferty in climbing through the ropes in Bulgaria.

Kellie McLoughlin has a bye to the Last 16 of in the Women’s lightweight category. She’ll take on seasoned French campaigner, Sthélyne Grosy, who has recently moved up to 60kg. She’s a multiple European U22/U23 medalist. That is Bout 2 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session, at 11:45 am.

 Jude Gallagher boxes his lightweight Last 16 contest tomorrow, taking on France’s Lounes Hamraoi, a 2022 European medalist. That’s Bout 6 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session, at around 12:45 pm

Double Olympian and 2026 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Michaela Walsh has a bye and opens her account at Last 16 stage against Montengro’s Bojana Gojkovic. That’s the opening contest in Ring B’s Evening Session, at 4pm.

Commonwealth Games champ, 70kg Jon McConnell is back for his third contest. He boxes for a medal against Gabriele Guidi Rontani of Italy, the reigning Mediterranean Games champion and a World Boxing Cup China bronze medalist at 75kg in Bout 6 of Ring B’s Evening Session. He should be in action at 5:15pm.

And in the subsequent bout, Gavin Rafferty gets his campaign underway. He boxes a 75kg Last 16 against Mateusz Urban of Poland, a World Boxing Cup China bronze medalist.