3 days to the first bell at #Paris2024 and #TeamIreland’s boxing centenary.
We’re counting down to the off by celebrating every Irish Boxing Olympian, and today, we honour the immortal team of London 2012. This Olympiad was the first in which women could box, and Katie Taylor came home with gold. Four cycles later, and #TeamIreland is one of only 3 countries in the world to qualify women at all weights
Team Ireland: London 2012
KATIE TAYLOR – 60kg Gold Medalist
F: Won 10-8 against Sofya Ochigava (Russia) Match Report
SF: Won 17-9 Mavzuna Chorieva (Tajikistan) Match Report
QF: Won 26-15 against Natasha Jonas (Team GB) Match Report
JOHN JOE NEVIN – 56kg Silver Medalist
F: Lost 14-11 to Luke Campbell (Team GB) Match Report
SF: Won 19-14 against Lazaro Alvarez Estrada (Cuba) Match Report
QF: Won 19-13 against Oscar Fierro Valdez (Mexico) Match Report
2nd Round: Won 15-10 against Kanat Abutalipov (Kazakhstan) Match Report
1st Round: Won 21-6 against Dennis Villy Ceylan (Denmark) Match Report
MICHAEL CONLAN – 52kg Bronze Medalist
SF: Lost 10-20 to Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana (Cuba) Match Report
QF: Won 22-18 against Nordine Ouballi (France) Match Report
2nd Round: Won 19-8 against Duke Akueth Micah (Ghana) Match Report
PADDY BARNES – 49kg Bronze Medalist
SF: Lost on countback 15-15 t0 Zou Shiming (China) Match Report
QF: Won 23-18 against Devendro Singh Laishram (India) Match Report
2nd Round: Won 15-10 against Thomas Essomba (Cameroon) Match Report
DARREN O’NEILL – 75kg Team Captain
2nd Round: Lost 19-12 to Stefan Hartel (Germany) Match Report
1st Round: Won 15-6 against Muideen Olalekan Akanji (Nigeria) Match Report
ADAM NOLAN – 69kg
2nd Round: Lost 18-9 to Andrey Zamkovoy (Russia) Match Report
1st Round: Won 14-8 against Carlos Sanchez Estacio (Ecuador) Match Report
Check out the highlights of London 2012’s opening ceremony:
A total of 85 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) won medals, 54 of those countries winning at least one gold medal. Seven NOCs won their first ever Olympic medal: Bahrain (gold), Botswana (silver) Cyprus (silver), Gabon (silver), Grenada (gold),Guatemala (silver), and Montenegro (silver).The United States finished at the top of the table, winning 48 gold medals and a total of 104 medals. China finished second with 38 gold medals and 91 medals overall, and hosts Great Britain came in third place, winning 29 gold medals and 65 medals overall in their best performance since London hosted its first Summer Olympics in 1908, pushing Russia—who won 18 gold medals and 65 medals in total, after doping redistributions (initially 24 gold and 82 total)—into fourth place.
Olympic Park On The Spotlight
The London 2012 Games were centred around the Olympic Park in East London, which is the site of a number of new sports venues. Up to 180,000 spectators a day entered the Park to enjoy the Games, making it the principal focus of Olympic activity. The main venues—the Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Velodrome and BMX Circuit, as well as the hockey, handball and basketball arenas—were easily accessible through a network of footbridges and walkways within the Park.
The Olympic Village was within walking distance of all the venues in the Park, enhancing the experience for athletes and officials. The use of other prestigious venues—such as Wembley Stadium for football, the All-England Club in Wimbledon for tennis, Lord’s Cricket Ground for archery and Horse Guards Parade for beach volleyball—was also a feature of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.