MEDAL ALERT – Record breaker Christina Desmond wins European Championships bronze at least

Christina Desmond ensured Irish boxing history was made as she claimed European honours in Budva.

The Cork light middleweight put in another impressive performance in Montenegro to secure a European Championship bronze medal at the very least.

The win over Hanna Ingrid Hede of Sweden was Ireland’s fourth victory from five quarter-finals across an action-packed Tuesday, meaning this Team Ireland created history.

The Budva 2022 select has banked more medals than any Irish European Women’s continental select – the previous record was three in 2019 – and have done so with four fighters poised to add to the collection tomorrow.

The medal was also Desmond’s second European Elite Championship medal win.

Another landmark day in Irish boxing — for the right reasons🙏— as Shannon Sweeney, Michaela Walsh, Amy Broadhurst and Christina Desmond guarantee at least four medals at the Europeans (with four more boxers just one win away!) Previous record was three at the 2019 European Games pic.twitter.com/DhWOK6sZZ4

— Gavan Casey (@GavanCasey) October 18, 2022

Shannon Sweeney got the medal ball rolling this afternoon defeating Nicole Durikova to claim minimumweight bronze at the very least, a feat  Micheala Walsh matched in the featherweight weight class as she beat Romania’s Claudia Nechita to become a two-time European Championships medal winner.

Carly McNaul was unfortunate in her last eight clash while  Amy Broadhurst stopped Milena Matovic to join Katie Taylor and Walsh on the list of Irish women to win more than one European Championship medal.

Christina Desmond fights against Sweden’s Hanna Ingrid Malena Hede for a medal later this evening.

Aoife O’Rourke, Kellie Harrington, Kaci Rock, and Caitlin Fryers also have quarter-finals to contest but will trade leather on Wednesday rather than today.

The EUBC and the IBA are streaming the tournament on their YouTube channels. Links, per session, will issue overnight.

Team Ireland Squad
48kg: Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s, Mayo

50kg: Caitlin Fryers, Immaculata BC, Belfast

52kg: Carly McNaul, Ormeau Road BC, Belfast

54kg: Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin

57kg: Michaela Walsh, Emerald BC, Belfast

60kg: Kellie Harrington, St. Mary’s BC, Dublin

63kg: Amy Broadhurst, St. Bronagh’s ABC, Newry

66kg: Kaci Rock, Enniskerry BC, Wicklow

70kg: Christina Desmond, Dungarvan BC/Garda BC

75kg: Aoife O’Rourke, Olympic BC, Galway

Coaches:

Zauri Antia

John Conlan

Dmitrij Dmitruk

Eoin Pluck

Physio

Rob Tuomey.