Eamer Couchlan, Aaron McKenna and Paddy Donovan in Anapa
Cork lightweight Eamer Coughlan is guaranteed at least bronze at the Pavlyukov Youth Memorial after a perfect day for Team Ireland in Anapa, Russia.
Coughlan, Irish captain Aaron McKenna, and Paddy Donovan won this morning to complete a Black Sea hat-trick.
Coughlan, a World Junior silver medallist who is becoming involved in more thrillers than Jamie Conlan, beat Georgia’s tough European Youth silver medallist Otari Naveriani, who also wasn’t shy about coming forward, in an all out 60kg war of attrition to book his ticket into the last-four.
And McKenna forced Estonia’s Pavel Kamgnin into two standing counts en route to a comprehensive win.
Donovan, also a World Junior silver medallist, showed his class to take all five judges with him on his way to Friday’s quarter-finals.Coughlan will be back in action in the last-four on Saturday versus Russia’s Nikita Piskunov, the current European Youth fly champion, while Gabriel Dossen, Tommy Hyde, McKenna and Donovan are between the ropes on St Patrick’s Day.
Irish coaches Billy McClean and Fergal McKenna hailed all three performances today.
Pavlyukov Youth Memorial Anapa, Russia March 15th/20th
March 15th
Last 16
69kg Jason Harty (Ireland) lost to Aldivr Turnsinay (Kazakhstan) 0-5
March 16th
Last 16
60kg: Eamer Coughlan (Ireland) beat OtarI Naveriani (Georgia) 3-2
March 17th
75kg: Tommy Hyde (Ireland) v Aleksei Alferor (Belarus)
March 18th
S/Final
60kg: Eamer Coughlan (Ireland) v Nikita Piskunov (Russia)
Irish Squad
75kg Tommy Hyde (Setanta)
Team manager: Robbie Redmond