O’Rourke Sisters Storm into European Finals – Walsh Medals Again
The O’Rourke sisters are through to the European Elite Championship finals after massive semi-final wins in Sofia on Wednesday.
Michaela Walsh joined the sisters and Jon McConnell in the medal circle and guaranteed herself bronze at least with a quarter final win.
Aoife O’Rourke will box for her fourth European Championship title on Friday. The Roscommon set a blistering pace in her semi final against 2025 World champion, Russia’s Saldant Medenova and claimed the victory on a 4-1 decision. Judges scored the bout 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 27:30 Aoife will contest her final against Turkey’s Busra Isildar, a multiple World and European medalist. The reigning champion now has five confederation level medals, including European Games gold and 3 European Elite titles.
Speaking to Boxing Ireland’s Grainne Walsh, she said ““Very excited, I’m delighted honestly. If you told me this at the start of the year that I’d be heading into a European final, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’m just going to go and enjoy it.”
Lisa O’Rourke will box for European Elite gold. She was utterly dominant in her semi final against Ukraine’s Iryna Lutsak and claimed the 5-0 win on a scoreline of 5-0, with a clean sweep of the cards: 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27. The World Gold medal winner will take on 2023 World champion, Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian in Thursday’s Evening Session.
Speaking to Grainne Walsh at ringside, Lisa she said “I’m delighted. Aoife was in before me and when I heard the red corner got the win there, I was delighted. t did give me that extra burst. I didn’t want her to be in there lonely, so I made sure I gave it my best shot. Thankfully, I got over the line and I’ll be in the final too.”
Michaela Walsh has secured at least a bronze medal in Sofia, and caused an upset for the home crowd. The double Olympian took on triple Olympian, Stanimira Petrova, in a 57kg quarter-final. This was a cagey contest, with boxers level on four scorecards in to the last. The experienced and decorated Belfast boxer dominated the final round and came away with the 5-0 decision. Judges scored the bout 28:29; 28:29; 28:29; 28:29; 27:30. The record-holding Irish Elite champion is back in action in Thursday’s evening session, where she takes on World Boxing Cup Brazil silver medalist, Kukhta Vlagyszlava of Hungary for a place in the finals.
Speaking to she said, “I knew this would be a tough fight, but coming into this tournament I really started to believe in myself…I’ve been around the world and have done it so many teams. I can be my own harshest critic but I know I can give performances like that. I said to myself I’m not leaving Bulgaria without a medal and I’m so happy to get a performance like that and come out with a unanimous decision.”
Reigning Commonwealth Games champion Jon McConnell will come home with 70kg bronze. He contested a tight, testy bout against Nabi Isgandarov of Azerbaijan, a World Boxing Cup Brazil bronze medalist. The 4-1 decision went to his opponent, scored: 29:28; 28:29; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28. The Holy Trinity boxer has had a superb Championships, with wins over Italy’s Gabriele Guidi Rontani, Poland’s Damian Durkacz and Turkey’s Necat Ekinci.
Jude Gallagher exits the championships on the narrowest of margins, a dreaded 3-2 split. The Paris Olympian contested his lightweight quarterfinal against Spain’s Ewart Andres Marin Hernandez. Judges scored the bout: 29”28; 29:28; 28:29; 28:29; 30:27. Jude, a 2026 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, has had an excellent championships, with keynote wins over Maksym Bocarov of Slovakia and Lounes Hamraoui of France.
