Dervla Duffy makes ring entrance today with Irish coaches
Kristina O’Hara and Dervla Duffy posted convincing last 16-wins at the European Union Elite Women’s Championships in Cascia, Italy today.
But Carly McNaul bowed out on a split decision.
O’Hara detonated all the power shots, with one judge giving her two 10-8 frames and another a 10-8 stanza against Finnish southpaw Saru Lehtonen. The first was fairly frenetic, with the game Lethonen moving forward constantly, O’Hara responding in kind. However, the Irish light-fly settled behind her jab from the start of round two en route to a confidence-boosting in.
Duffy, constantly finding the target with two and three-punch combinations, also earned two 10-8 rounds on her way to having her hand raised in triumph at the expense of Hungary’s Kinga Mezovari in the featherweight class. She joins O’Hara, Michaela Walsh, Kellie Harrington and Christina Desmond in the last-eight.
McNaul emptied the tank after losing the first to France’s Wassila Lkhadiri, but the Belfast fly, dominating and backing her opponent up, should have taken the second on all five cards – two of the five judges went against her. The third round was close. A big performance from McNaul in a fight which could have gone either way.
Grainne Walsh fights tomorrow in the quarter-finals against Welsh welter Lauren Price, and,in a change in the program, Michaela Walsh and Kellie Harrington are also in last-eight action on Monday.
European Union Women’s Championships Cascia, Italy August 4th/13th
August 5th
Last 16
54kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Ebonie Jones (England) 5-0
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Kinga Szalachcic (Poland) 4-1
August 6th
Last 16
48kg Kristina O’Hara (Ireland) beat Saru Lehtonen (Finland) 5-0
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) lost to Wassila Lkhadiri (France) 2-3
57kg Dervla Duffy (Ireland) beat Kinga Mezovari (Hungary) 5-0
August 7th
Q/finals
54kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Julia Coroli (Moldova)
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Ditteajaaja Frostholm (Denmark)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) v Lauren Price (Wales)
August 8th
Q/Finals
48kg Kristina O’Hara (Ireland) v Roberta Bonatte (Italy)
75kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) v Nouchka Fontijn (Netherlands)
August 9th
Q/Finals
57kg Dervla Duffy (Ireland) v Ornella Wahner (Germany)
Irish squad
48kg Kristina O’Hara (St John Bosco)
51kg Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road)
54kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown Antrim)
57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Marys)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
Team Manager/High Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Dmitry Dimitruc and Jimmy Payne
Physio: Maureen Harte
R&J: Jim Murrin