6 Team Ireland boxers have now qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Reigning Olympic lightweight champion, Kellie Harrington, 57kg Michaela Walsh and 75kg Aoife O’Rourke, all became double Olympians on securing qualification at the 2023 European Games in Nowy Targ, Poland. Kellie and Aoife came home with gold, and Michaela with bronze.
They were joined by 63.5kg Dean Clancy (bronze) and 92kg Jack Marley (silver) in booking their tickets to Paris at the tournmanent.
Within the last 24 hours, 57kg Jude Gallagher, has done likewise at the 1st Olympic World Qualifier in Busto Arsizio, Italy. Unlike the European Games, boxers at the 1st OWQ boxed to quota, meaning they ceased competing on winning qualification – therefore, there were no semi-finals or finals, and no medals were awarded.
The 1st OWQ was among the largest boxing tournaments ever to have taken place. 602 boxers from 113 federations, supported by over 500 staff, participated from February 29th to March 11th.
Two more Ireland boxers, 66kg Grainne Walsh and 80kg Kelyn Cassidy, contested Paris qualification bouts in Italy – and both lost on 3-2 split decisions, the narrowest possible margins.
High Performance Director, Tricia Heberle, reflects on the 1st Olympic World Qualifier campaign, and plots forward to the 2nd Olympic Qualifier, in Bangkok from May 23rd to June 4th.