MEDAL ALERT – Aoife O’Rourke back on familiar ground after winning Euro bronze at least
Aoife O’Rourke is back on familiar ground this evening, having returned to the European Championship podium.
O’Rourke took a step closer to what would prove a sensational gold medal hat trick with victory in Serbia.
The Roscommon boxer earned European Championships 75kg bronze at the very least thanks to an impressive quarter-final win.
It’s a third medal at the level for the two-time Olympian but the muted celebrations suggest she has no intentions of settling for a place on the podium.
The lady with the European Championships Midas touch will be targeting a third gold.
The Paris Olympian had to earn her medal with Veronika Nakota making her work both physically and tactically in an entertaining clash. In the end the 26-year-old had too much by way of skill and work rate for the Hungarian and claimed a unanimous decision win.
The win improved Ireland’s medal haul to four with Kellie Harington, Shannon Sweeney and Naimh Fay [via walkover] all stepping onto the podium earlier in the day.
O’Rourke’s sister Lisa suffered quarter-final defeat two bouts prior. The 63kg fighter was competitive against Slovakia’s Jessica Triebelova but didn’t look as sharp as her foe after a prolonged period out.
Marching forward behind a high guard Nakota made O’Rourke work for every second of the first stanza.
Known for her fitness the Olympic Galway fighter had little problem doing just that and her higher work rate won her the round across the board.
Coach Zaur Antia pointed out some changes he wanted going into the second and it led to the Connaught talent picking shots around the Hungarian’s defence rather than firing through them.
Some bodywork was added to the arsenal and paid massive dividends. That mixture of effort and quality was its best in the final round as O’Rourke won the last with much more ease than the two that went before.
Like Harrington, Sweeney and Fay, she will now compete for silver over the next few days.
Team
50kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, Mayo
54kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family GG, Belfast
60kg Kellie Harrington, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin
66kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
51kg Rickey Nesbitt, Holy Family BC, Drogheda
57kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway
63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim
71kg Eugene McKeever, Holy Family, Drogheda
92kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin
Draws are available here
