Team Ireland’s 60kg Sean McCusker is assured of at least a European U19 Championship bronze medal.
He contested his quarter finalover Finland’s Aapo Rovanper, and dominated throughout the bout . Sean is back in action in his semi-final, against Greece’s Petros Nearchos Konstantinoudis on Tuesday. Judges scored the bout 29:28; 30:27; 30:27; 29:28; 29:27. Sean becomes the second Team Ireland boxer to medal at the tournament, in the Czech Republic. 75kg Nessa Tabachuk is also assured of a bronze, at minimum, following a bye to the semi-finals
48kg Chloe Cox put in a valiant, high tempo performance in her European U19 Championship quarter final against Ukraine’s Anna Kurapatova. The 3-0 decision went to Kurapatova, on a scoreline of: 28:28
26:30; 27:29; 27:29; 28:28.
75kg Jason Whelan put in a high-octane performance in his quarter final, including give his opponent two standing counts – one a piece in the second and third rounds. The 4-1 split decision went to his opponent, Germany’s Marko Nedeljkovic. Judges scored the bout 29:28; 27:29; 27:30; 27:30; 28:29.
A brave and battling performance by 70kg Katelyn Butler, making her international debut at quarter final stage against opponent, Ukraine’s Anastasiia Taran, the 2024 European Youth champion at the weight. Taran was also a 2022 European Junior silver medalist. The 5-0 decision went to the Ukrainian boxer, on a scoreline of 30:27; 30:26; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27.
105 female and 189 male boxers from 33 nations are competiting in Ostrava. The participating nations are: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.
Day Six – Quarter Finals
Four more Team Ireland athletes contest for medals on Sunday – the second day of quarter finals.
Team Co-Captain, 51kg Kayleigh Byrne is back for her second bout – contesting against home boxers, Adela Sanislova . That’s Bout 4 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session.
Also meeting Czech opposition is 57kg Grace Conway – she’s in Ring B’s Afternoon Session, against Julie Polednikova in Bout 3. In Bout 5 of the same ring and session, 65kg John Donoghue is in action against Ukraine’s Vladyslav Zheleznov.
90kg Shay O’Dowd waits until the Evening Session to vie for a medal. He takes on Slovakia’s David Zahradnicek in Ring B’s Bout 7.
Watch
The tournament is being live-streamed by the Czech Boxing Federation on its YouTube channel HERE. Links, per ring and session, will become available on the day of boxing
Team Ireland
48kg Chloe Cox, Setanta BC, Co. Kildare
50kg Kurt Kinsella, Monkstown BC Dublin
51kg Kayleigh Byrne, Gorey BC, Co. Wexford
55kg Michael Reilly. St. Paul’s BC, Co. Waterford
57kg Grace Conway, Tredagh BC, Co. Louth
60kg Sean McCusker, Dealgan BC, Co. Louth
65kg John Donoghue, Olympic BC, Co. Westmeath
70kg Katelyn Butler, St. Colman’s BC Co. Cork
70kg Patrick Kelly, St. Abban’s/Kilmyshall BC Co. Wexford
75kg Nessa Tabachuk, Celtic Eagles BC, Co. Galway
75kg Jason Whelan, Dublin Docklands BC
85kg Chulainn McDonnell, Whitechurch BC, Dublin
90kg Shay O’Dowd, Swords BC Dublin
Support staff:
Team Manager: Jennifer O’Sullivan, Sliabh Luachra BC, Kerry
Coaches: Liam Cunningham, Saints ABC, Belfast; Ralph McKay, St. Paul’s BC, Belfast; Aoife Hennigan. Swinford BC, Co. Mayo; Garry Keogh, Marble City BC, Co. Kilkenny