Brendan Irvine (red) in action
Six Northern Ireland boxers will be aiming for gold in the finals of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia tomorrow.
Carly McNaul, Michaela Walsh and her brother Aidan, Brendan Irvine and Kurt Walker joined Kristina O’Hara in Saturday’s finals.
All six are guaranteed at least silver.
Current Irish and EU Elite champion Michaela progressed to her second successive Commonwealth final on a 4-1 split over London 2012 Olympian Alexis Prichard of New Zealand.
Walsh earned three 30-27 scores and a 30-26, while Prichard, who was beaten at London 2012 by Russia’s Sofya Ochigava, who Katie Taylor beat in the Olympic lightweight final, got the nod from one judges on a 29-28 tally.
Walker came through a tough bout with Eric Bastion. Three of the judges leaned 29-28 in favour of the European Elite bronze medallist and the other two 28-28 for the Canadian bantam.
Earlier, Rio Olympian Brendan Irvine and former Commonwealth Games Youth champion James McGivern experienced contrasting fortunes in the fly and light classes on 4-1 split decisions.
Irvine beat Scotland’s Reece McFadden and will face India’s Gaurav Solanki for gold tomorrow, but Solanki’s compatriot, Manish Kaushik, got the nod from four of the five judges versus McGivern.
Carly McNaul advanced to Saturday’s finals from the second bout on the card in the early hours of this morning.
The Belfast fly earned a number of 10-8 rounds in a comprehensive unanimous verdict over Kenya’s Christine Ongare en route to her gold medal match with England’s Lisa Whiteside.
Aidan Walsh joined his sister another rung up the podium with a comprehensives decision over Fiji welter Wilson Hill.
But India middleweight Vikas Krishan got the better of Rio Olympian Steven Donnelly in a tight 75kg clash.
Friday the 13th was a hectic day for Irish head coach John Conlan and coaches Peter Brady and Damien Kennedy.
The Irish corner had seven fights – including two back-to-back semi-finals – to contend with and helped steer the team to six victories from eight at the Oxenford Studio venue.
The final begin at 3am (Irish time) and continue until 11.30am (Irish time) on Saturday morning.
O’Hara meets five-time AIBA World Elite champion Mery Kom in the opening bout on the card.
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast Australia
Women
April 8th
Q/Final
48kg Kristina O’Hara beat Lynsey Holdaway (Wales) 3-2
April 10th
Q/Final
57kg Michaela Walsh beat Keamogeste Kenosi (Botswana) RSC3
April 11th
Q/Finals
51kg Carly McNaul beat Ayisat Oriyomi (Nigeria) ABD2
60kg Alanna Nihell lost to Page Murney (England) 0-5
S/Final
48kg Kristina O’Hara beat Tasymn Benny (New Zealand) 5-0
April 13th
S/Finals
51kg Carly McNaul beat Christine Ongare (Kenya) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh beat Alexis Pritchard (New Zealand) 4-1
April 14th
Finals
48kg Kristina O’Hara v Mery Kom (India)
51kg Carly McNaul v Lisa Whiteside (England)
57kg Michaela Walsh v Skye Nicolson (Australia)
Men
April 6th
Last 32
75kg Steven Donnelly beat Kyran Jones (Wales) 4-1
April 7th
Last 16
56kg Kurt Walker beat Jack Bowen (Australia) 4-1
69kg Aidan Walsh beat Gul Zaib (Pakistan) 5-0
April 8th
Last 16
64kg Sean McComb lost to Luke McCormack (England) 1-4
75kg Steven Donnelly beat Gibrilla Kamara (Sierra Leone) 5-0
April 9th
Last 16
52kg Brendan Irvine beat Jabah Breedy (Barbados) 5-0
60kg James McGivern beat Emanuel Ngoma (Zambia) RSC2
April 10th
Q/Finals
56kg Kurt Walker beat Moroke Mokhotho (Lesotho) 4-1
69kg Aidan Walsh beat Leroy Hindley (New Zealand) 5-0
91kg Damien Sullivan lost to Jason Whateley (Australia) 1-4
91kg+ Stephen McMonagle lost to Patrick Mailato (New Zealand) 0-5
April 11th
Q/Finals
52kg Brendan Irvine beat Rajab Mahommed (Botswana) 4-1
60kg James McGivern beat Jean John Colin (Mauritis) 5-0
75kg Steven Donnelly beat Henry Tyrell (Samoa) 5-0
April 13th
S/Finals
52kg Brendan Irvine beat Reece McFadden (Scotland) 4-1
56kg Kurt Walker beat Eric Bastion (Canada) 3-2
60kg James McGivern lost to Manish Kaushik (India) 1-4
69kg Aidan Walsh beat Wilson Hill (Fiji) 5-0
75kg Steven Donnelly lost to Vikas Krishan (India) 0-5
April 14th
Finals
52kg Brendan Irvine v Gaurav Solanki (India)
56kg Kurt Walker v Peter McGrail (England)
69kg Aidan Walsh v Pat McCormack (England)
Northern Ireland Squad
48kg Kristina O’Hara (St John Bosco) (Silver, at least)
51kg Carly McNaul (Holy Family) (Silver, at least)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s) (Silver, at least)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal) (Silver, at least))
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown) (Silver, at least)
60kg James McGivern (St Georges) (Bronze)
60kg Alanna Nihell (Eastside/British Army)
64kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown) (Silver, at least)
75kg Steven Donnelly (All Saints) (Bronze)
91kg Damien Sullivan (Emerald)
+91kg Stephen McMonagle (Holy Trinity)
Coaches: John Conlan, Peter Brady and Damien Kennedy