Taylor and Smith make Euro quarters

Katie Taylor and Ceire Smith advanced to the quarter-finals of the 8th Women’s European Championships following comprehensive – and dramatic – wins in Rotterdam today.

 

But Katie Rowland, Michaela Walsh, Sinead Kavanagh, Lynne McEnery and Kelly Harrington bowed out of the tournament following last-16 reversals.

 

Taylor, who is aiming for her fifth European lightweight title in-a-row, recorded a landslide 22-3 win over Romina Marenda of Italy.

 

Smith, who boxes out of the Cavan BC, was trailing 8-4 versus 2010 European bronze medalist Csilla Nemedi in the fourth and final round.

 

But the Irish bantamweight stunned the Hungarian with a right hook straight out of the top drawer and the ref stopped the contest.

 

Walsh produced a fine performance but lost 16-9 to Poland’s Sandra Kruk, the current European Union champion, while Rowland was retired by the Irish corner at the end of the second versus England’s two-time AIBA World silver-medalist Nicola Adams.

 

McEnery, meanwhile, was edged out by one point by Lynsey Holdaway of Wales and Kelly Harrington agonisingly lost on a count back to Martina Schmaranzova of the Czech Republic after a 9-9 tie.

 

Kavanagh was beaten 22-3 by English middleweight Savannah Marshall.

 

Taylor, Smith and Lauragh O’Neill, who received a bye into the last-eight, will box for places in the semi-finals and at least a bronze medal each tomorrow.

 

Thursday is a rest day at the Championships. The semi-finals and finals will be held on Friday and Saturday.
European Women’s Championships (Topsportcentrum) Rotterdam, Holland

 

 

October 17th (Preliminaries)

 

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Julia Irmen (Germany) 15-7

 

69Kg: Laoise Traynor (Bray) lost to Lauren Price (Wales) 2-21

 

75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) beat Viktoria Kebikava (Belarus) 18-9

 

October 18th (Last 16)

 

48Kg: Lynne McEnery (St Pauls) lost to Lynsey Holdaway (Wales) 11-12

 

51Kg: Katie Rowland (Geesala) lost to Nicola Adams (England) RET3

 

54Kg: Ceire Smith (Cavan) beat Csilla Nemedi (Hungary) RSC4

 

57Kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family) lost to Sandra Kruk (Poland) 9-16

 

60Kg; Katie Taylor (Bray) beat Romina Marenda (Italy) 22-3

 

64Kg: Kelly Harrington (Corinthians) lost to Martina Schmaranzova (Czech Republic) 9-9 (count back)

 

75Kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh) lost to Savannah Marshal (England) 3-22

 

(No count back scores available)

 

October 19th (Quarter-finals)

 

54Kg: Ceire Smith (Cavan) v Sandra Drabik (Poland)

 

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray) v Ayzanat Hajiyeva (Azerbaijan)

 

81Kg: Lauragh O’Neill (Paulstown) v Tinea Naga (Hungary)

 

Irish squad

 

48Kg: Lynne McEnery (St Pauls)

51Kg: Katie Rowland (Geesala)

54Kg: Ciere Smith (Cavan)

57Kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family)

60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray)

64Kg: Kelly Harrington (Corinthians)

69Kg: Laoise Traynor (Bray)

75kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh)

81kg: Lauragh O’Neill (Paulstown)

 

Team manager: Anna Moore

Coaches: Pete Taylor, Zaur Antia, Damien Walsh

Physio: Mary Louise Ryan