Dean Clancy making his ring entrance today
Dean Clancy and Callum Walsh upgraded their guaranteed bronze medals to at least silver after two magnificent semi-final performances at the European Junior Championships in Albena, Bulgaria today.
Clancy, who boxes out of Ballinacarrow BC, beat Italy’s Emanuele Massimo in a fiery 52kg duel in which neither young man had to go looking for each other and in which both ended up on the floor three times after slips.
Clancy’s skill, he found the target with combinations in all three rounds, fitness and sheer heart secured a deserved victory.
Four judges scored it 30-27 for the Irishman, one scored it 29-28 against. Walsh followed that up with a 3-1 split verdict over Russia’s Sino Sabivov in an all southpaw battle.
Callum Walsh celebrating after today’s win
Sabivov received a public warning for dropping his head in the second and the final scores read 29-27,29-27,29-27 to Walsh, 29-28 to Sabivov and a 28-28 draw – so Walsh, even if his opponent hadn’t received a warning, would still have won.
The Leesider applied himself to his task from the opening bell and kept his rangy jab in his opponent’s face for most of the contest. Sabivov, burrowing inside because of his height and reach deficit, did most of his best work at close quarters, but Walsh matched fire with fire throughout to book his ticket into the 60kg final.
Clancy will meet Russia’s Boris Kariban and Walsh will face Bulgaria’s Stilyan Hristov for gold tomorrow afternoon.
Boxing begins at 2pm (Irish time) on Monday.
European Junior Championships Albena, Bulgaria
September 18th
Preliminaries (Last 32)
46kg Jude Gallagher (Ireland) beat Paul Cameron (England) 5-0
52kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) beat Nazar Fadzeyeu (Belarus) 5-0
54kg Brandon McCarthy (Ireland) beat David Gvasalia (Georgia) 5-0
57kg Mikey Stokes (Ireland) beat Luca Filip (Croatia) TKO1
63kg Peter Vrinceanu (Ireland) beat Luca de Chiava (Italy) 5-0
66kg William Hayden (Ireland) lost to Jaba Tchumbashvili (Georgia) 2-3
70kg Jake Tucker (Ireland) beat Gyula Varga (Hungary) 5-0
80Kg+ Cathal Crowley (Ireland) lost to Aleksei Dronov (Russia) TKO1
September 19th
Last 16
48kg Patrick McCarthy (Ireland) beat Owen Paton (Scotland) 5-0
70kg Jake Tucker (Ireland) lost to Ilia Bogaturev (Russia) 1-4
September 20th
Last 16
46kg Jude Gallagher (Ireland) beat Maksud Khasmetov (Azerbaijan) 4-1
50kg Myles Casey (Ireland) lost to Madalin Popescu (Romania) 0-5
54kg Brandon McCarthy (Ireland) lost to Harry Kinsella (England) 0-5
57kg Mikey Stokes (Ireland) lost to Bakur Chikovani (Georgia) 0-5
75kg Gavin Rafferty (Ireland) lost to Emir Buyukdas (Turkey) 0-5
September 21st
Q/Final
48kg Patrick McCarthy (Ireland) lost to Vakhaev Mukhaed (Russia) 0-5
Last 16
52kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) beat Artur Shahakyan (Armenia) 4-1
60kg Callum Walsh (Ireland) beat Racz Kristopher (Hungary) 5-0
63kg Peter Vrinceanu (Ireland) lost to Anatalii Fedotkin (Russia) 2-3
80kg Thomas Doherty (Ireland) beat Sahin Ergul (Turkey) 4-1
September 22nd
Q/Final
46kg Jude Gallagher (Ireland) lost to Luka Kublashvili (Georgia) 1-4
52kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) beat Mizan Aykol (Turkey) 4-1
60kg Callum Walsh (Ireland) beat Mehmet Sor (Germany) 3-2
80kg Thomas Doherty (Ireland) lost to Ruslan Shapovalov (Ukraine) 1-4
September 24th
S/Finals
52kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) beat Emanuele Massimo (Italy) 4-1
60kg Callum Walsh (Ireland) beat Sino Sabivov (Russia) 3-1
September 25th
Finals
52kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) v Boris Kariban (Russia)
60kg Callum Walsh (Ireland) v Stilyan Hristov (Bulgaria)
Irish squad
46kg Jude Gallagher (Two Castles)
48kg Patrick McCarthy (Tralee)
50kg Myles Casey (Rathkeale)
52kg Dean Clancy (Ballinacarrow) (Silver, at least)
54kg Brandon McCarthy (St. Michaels Athy) Cpt
57kg Mikey Stokes (Athlone)
60kg Callum Walsh (Riverstown) (Silver, at least)
63kg Peter Vrinceanu (Crumlin)
66kg William Hayden (Crumlin)
70kg Jake Tucker (Holy Trinity) V/Cpt
75kg Gavin Rafferty (St. Cianans)
80kg Thomas Doherty (Baldoyle)
80+kg Cathel Crowley (Spartan)
Team Manager – Peter Brady
Coaches – Billy McClean & Dmitri Dmitruk
R&J – John Casey