Fourteen nations are assured of at least bronze at the 11th European Elite Women’s Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Ireland, courtesy of Belfast featherweight Michaela Walsh and Dublin lightweight Kellie Harrington, will be bringing two of those medals.
The Irish duo, who have recorded five wins between them this week, will be back between the ropes in Sofia tomorrow aiming to upgrade their guaranteed bronze to at least silver.
Harrington meets Finland’s Olympic bronze medalist Mira Potkonen, who beat current unified WBA/IBF champion Katie Taylor in the Bray woman’s last fight in the amateur ranks at Rio 2016.
The Harrington versus Potkonen three-rounder is a repeat of the 2017 European Union final which the Finn won.
Current European Union champion Walsh is in against Russia’s current European Elite champion Daira Abramova.
The Russian orthodox, who lost to Harrington in a multi-nations tournament last year, beat Potkonen in the 2016 European lightweight final but has since dropped down to feather.
Irish boxing has impressively claimed – including Harrington’s and Walsh double – 24 medals in European Elite/U/22/Youth and Schoolboy/girl tournaments since March.
Meantime, Irish women’s boxing has now won ten European Elite medals since the inaugural tournament in 2001. Katie Taylor (six gold), Clare Grace (bronze), Christina Desmond (bronze), Kellie Harrington (at least bronze) and Michaela Walsh (at least bronze) have, and will, finish in podium positions.
(Image: Irish squad and staff in Sofia)
Irish amateur boxing is proudly sponsored by Liffey Crane
Bronze medals guaranteed per nation at 2018 European Women’s Elite Championships
Russia: 9
Bulgaria: 6
Turkey, Ukraine: 4
Italy: 3
Belarus, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland: 2
Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Wales: 1