Medal Madness: Five Irish boxers in European Championship action
Five Irish boxers partake in European Championship medal fights on Wednesday.
Jude Gallagher and Michaela Walsh will look to step onto the podium by winning quarter-finals, while Lisa O’Rourke, Aoife O’Rourke and Jon McConnell all shoot for silver.
Jude Gallagher returns to the ring after his powerhouse L16 performance, where he won by RSC 3. He takes on Spain’s Ewart Andres Marin Hernandez. The 22 year old is a former World Youth silver medalist, and was a silver medalist at August’s Mediterranean Games. That is Bout 8 in Ring A’s Afternoon Session, at around 1:30pm.
Double Olympian Michaela Walsh takes on triple Olympian, home boxer Stanimira Petrova, for a place on the podium. The two have met twice before, and have one win apiece. That quarter final is Bout 2 of Ring A’s Evening Session, at approx 4:15pm.
In Bout 4 of the same ring and session, now five-time continental medalist, Aoife O’Rourke, takes on Russia’s Saltanat Medenova for a place in the finals. Medenova is a 2025 IBA World champion. They are due in the ring at around 4:45pm.
In the next bout, her sister Lisa O’Rourke, a World gold and silver medalist, takes on Ukraine’s Iryna Lutsak for a place in the finals. Lutsak is a multiple European U23 medalist. That bout should be underway at 5pm.
And Jon McConnell returns for his fourth bout of the tournament. He boxes his semi-final against Nabi Isgandarov of Azerbaijan, a World Boxing Cup Brazil bronze medalist. That’s Bout 9 of Ring A’s Evening Session, at around 6:15pm.
