75kg Aoife O’Rourke became a double Olympian this evening, and suffered a shock defeat in her last 16 opener against Poland’s Elzbieta Wojick, a fighter the Connacht woman had previously beaten four times.
Ireland’s four time continental champion won the first round 3:2 when the Pole got an official warning and a point deduction for holding, yet O’Rourke lost the second round 3-2 and everything was left riding on the third.
With her opponent repeatedly spoiling and crowding her, O’Rourke still got off some big shots and good combinations to the body in the third. But the judges gave it 4:1 to her opponent and Ireland’s two-time Olympian lost on a split 3:2 decision. The final scores: 29:27; 26:30; 27: 29; 28:28; 29: 27.
“I’m very disappointed. She set the pace and intensity from the start and it was a battle the whole way through,” O’Rourke said. “I was expecting that. She only had one or two options. She was either going to come at me like the bull, or she was going to stand her ground in the middle of the ring, and she came out right from the get-go.
“I honestly think I gave it my best. There was a lot of holding but that’s part of it. Maybe I should have been quicker in getting out and what not, but it is what it is and I wish her the best of luck now.”
“We’ve met on numerous occasions and it’s always been a battle. I definitely didn’t underestimate her. She stepped it up again tonight and it came down to the wire.
Kellie Harrington wrote her name in the annals of Irish sport, again today – by securing a second Olympic medal in successive games in her Quarter Final victory over Angie Paola Valdes Pana of Colombia. She’s one of only four people to do so. The others are boxing’s Paddy Barnes, two-time hammer champion Dr Pat O’Callaghan, and rower Paul O’Donovan.
Kellie had to wait until this evening to find out who she faces in the semi final – and its a re-run of the Tokyo Olympic Games final. Kellie, and Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira will do it again on Saturday at 10.08pm.
Day Six: August 1st
Two Team Ireland boxers are in action on Day 6 of the tournament, opening and closing the evening session.
50kg Daina Moorehouse becomes an Olympian, and opens her Paris campaign against home boxer, Wassila Lkhadiri. They’ve met once before, at the Quarter Finals o the European Games, and Wassila got the decision. She also has two pro-wins under her belt. That’s a Last 16 contest – Daina is expected in the ring at 7pm.
Heavyweight, Jack Marley, contests is quarter final and boxes for a medal, following his opening win over Poland’s Mateusz Bereznicki. He contests against Tajikistan’s Davlat Boltaev, and will step between the ropes at 9.08pm, in the last bout of the day.
All schedules and results are available here
Tournament Schedule
Boxing from July 27th to August 3rd takes place at the North Paris Arena. Boxing from August 4th to 10th takes place at Roland Garros. August 5th is a rest day at the tournament.
Morning sessions begin at 10am, Irish time.
Afternoon sessions begin at 2.30pm, Irish time
Evening sessions begin at 7pm, Irish time.
July 27th Round of 32: W54kg, W60kg, M63.5kg & M80kg.
July 28th Round of 32: W50kg, W66kg, M57kg, M71kg, M92kg % M92+kg.
July 29th Last 16 in M63.5, 92 & 92+kg, and W60kg
July 30th Last 16 in M51 & M80kg, and W54 & W57kg
July 31st Last 16 M57 & 71kg, and W75kg, plus QF of W60kg
August 1st QF of M63.5 & 92kg, last 16 W50 & 66kg, QF of W54kg
August 2nd QF of M51, 80 & +92kg, and last 16 W57kg
August 3rd QF of M57 & 71kg, and W50 & 66kg, SF of W60kg
August 4th SF of M51, 63.5, 80 & 92kg,QF W57 & 75kg, SF of W54kg
August 5th rest day
August 6th SF of M71kg, SF W50 & 66kg, and W60kg final
August 7th SF M92+kg & W57kg, Finals of M63.5 & 80kg
August 8th SF M57kg & W75kg, Finals M51kg and W54kg
August 9th Finals of M71 & 92kg, Finals of W50 & 66kg
August 10th Finals of M57 & 92+kg, Finals of W57 & 75kg
Draws
All draws are available here and here
Watch
RTE will have significant coverage of the Games on RTE 2, RTE Player, online, on Radio and through the RTE app. Full details are available here
The full Games streaming service for all sports is here:
https://www.discoveryplus.com/ie/olympics/sport/boxing
Team Ireland Boxing
Athletes:
Kellie Harrington (Dublin) Women’s 60kg
Aidan Walsh (Belfast) Men’s 71kg
Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) Women’s -75kg
Daina Moorehouse (Bray) Women’s -50kg
Dean Clancy (Sligo) Men’s 63.5kg
Grainne Walsh (Tullamore) Women’s -66kg
Jude Gallagher (Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone) Men’s -57kg
Jennifer Lehane (Ashbourne, Co. Meath) Women’s -54kg
Jack Marley (Sallynoggin, Dublin) Men’s -92kg
Michaela Walsh (Belfast) Women’s -57kg
Staff:
Tricia Heberle – Performance Director & Team Leader
Zauri Antia – Head Coach
Damian Kennedy – Coach
Lynne McEnery – Coach
James Doyle – Coach
Jim Clover – Doctor
Lorcan McGee – Physio
Paula Fitzpatrick – Physiologist