Irish European Elite squad.
Ireland’s squad for the European Elite Women’s Championships completed their third day of training at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield today.
Team Ireland are training with Team GB, England and Wales in Sheffield ahead of the opening bell for the 10th European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The squad return home from England on Sunday and depart for Sofia on November 14th. Boxing begins on November 15th.
Tipperary lightweight Shauna O’Keeffe will wear the Irish lightweight vest in Sofia in place of Katie Taylor.
Taylor would have been aiming for seven in-a-row in the Bulgarian capital but has decided to switch codes.
World No. 4 ranked light-welter Kellie Harrington lines out at 64kg and Irish Youth Olympian Christina Desmond carries our middleweight hopes at the last AIBA ranking tournament of 2016.
The Cork southpaw recorded one notable victory this year after stunning Holland’s World No. 2 Nouchka Fontijn at the European Olympic qualifiers.
A few months after that defeat, Fontijn was beaten by Americas two-time Olympic champion Claressa Shields in the Rio 2016 Olympic final.
“Europe is obviously a very strong boxing continent and we’re all expecting tough competition in Sofia,” said Desmond, the current Irish Elite champion who claimed Ireland’s first medal at the World University Championships in Thailand last month.
“We know that the Europeans are going to be very competitive and we’re under no illusion about that, but the squad are preparing very well and we’re quitely confident.”
Meantime, it has yet to be confirmed if seeding will be in operation in Sofia. Seedings are distributed according to AIBA World rankings which await updating to reflect performances at Rio 2016.
Irish Squad European Elite Women’s Championships
48kg Lauren Hogan (St.Brigids Edenderry)
51kg Donna Barr (Twin Towns)
54kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart)
57kg Moira McElliggot (St Michael’s Athy)
60kg Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel)
64kg Kellie Harrington (Glasnevin)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans)
Team manager: Noreen Glendening
Physio: Caoimhe Gilmore
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, Dmitri Dimitruc
R&J: Sadie Duffy
Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary