“El equipo de Irlanda regresó a casa del Campeonato Europeo de Elite Femenino en Madrid esta tarde a través del aeropuerto de Dublín!”

Team Ireland returned home from the European Women’s Elite Championships in Madrid this afternoon via Dublin Airport.

Roscommon’s Aoife O’Rourke and Dundalk’s Amy Broadhurst won gold and bronze at the tournament to improve Ireland’s all-time haul to 12 medals – 7 gold and 5 bronze – since 2001.

O’Rourke came from behind to beat Poland’s former Olympic Youth and World Youth champion Elziebta Wojcik to secure the 75kg title on Saturday night.

“I’m absolutely over the moon. It was a tough fight and I’m thrilled to have won gold. It’s incredible, I don’t think it has sunk in yet,” said the Castlerea BC stand out after becoming the only Irish female boxer besides current unified pro champion Katie Taylor to claim gold at this level.

Family, clubs, clubs coaches were at the airport this afternoon to welcome the team home.

 

IABA CEO Fergal Carruth, speaking from the airport, remarked that the team had performed magnificently against Europe’s finest, adding that Irish boxing will take a lot of confidence from performances in Madrid going into the Olympic qualifiers.

Meantime, Broadhurst, Ceire Smith and Christina Desmond were only beaten by the eventual gold medallist in their weights in Madrid.

Irish team manager JP Kinsella and head coach Zaur Antia and Irish coach Damian Kennedy agreed that the bouts involving Broadhurst, Smith and Desmond and the eventual European champions could have gone either way.

Ireland finished in 4th spot in the medals table at the 12th edition of the tournament.

Irish boxing has now medalled at nine consecutive European Women’s Elites since Norway 2005 where Katie Taylor won gold, Ireland’s first medal at this level.

 

 

Ireland’s All-Time European Elite Women’s Championships Medallists

2005/06/07/09/11/14: Katie Taylor (Six Gold)
2019: Aoife O’Rourke (Gold)
2014: Clare Grace (Bronze)
2016: Christina Desmond (Bronze)
2018: Kellie Harrington (Bronze)
2018: Michaela Walsh (Bronze)
2019: Amy Broadhurst (Bronze)

Team’s Ireland’s homecoming flight from the European Women’s Elite Championships via Dublin Airport has been delayed.

The squad were due to arrive at 10.40am this morning  but will not arrive until 2.20pm this afternoon, according to Dublin Airport Arrivals. Click here. 

Flight 1B3792: Arrival Dublin via Madrid at 12.05 (Terminal 1).

 

 

 

Ireland finished in 4th spot in the medals table at the 31-nation European Elite Women’s Championships in Madrid.

Click here for details.

Roscommon middleweight Aoife O’Rourke claimed gold at the tournament to become the only Irish female boxer to top a podium at this level besides current unified pro champion Katie Taylor.

The emotional new European No. 1 said after Saturday’s victory that her focus was on the qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 in London next March.

Amy Broadhurst won bronze in the Spanish capital.

Ceire Smith and Christina Desmond also represented Ireland’s four-strong team in Madrid. Smith, Desmond and Broadhurst were edged on tight decisions to eventual gold medallists.

Team Ireland are due to arrive home via Dublin Airport this morning.

ALL MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND SUNDAY’S HOMECOMING.

Homecoming Details 

The Irish squad are due to arrive home via Dublin Airport this morning (September 1) at 10.40am. (Flight 1B3792; Departure Madrid: 09.10. Arrival Dublin: 10.40 (Terminal 1).

Aoife O’Rourke is the new European Elite 75kg champion.

The Roscommon middleweight beat Polish southpaw Elziebta Wojcik on a unanimous decision in Madrid tonight to become the only Irish female fighter besides six-time titlist Katie Taylor to win gold at this level.

The final scores unanimously read in favour of O’Rourke at the end of a fiery encounter with the Castlerea BC ace dominating the second round after losing out 4-1 in the first. The new champion won the third across the board.

 

 

 

Aoife O’Rourke weighed-in this morning ahead of her European Elite final in Madrid.

The Roscommon middleweight meets Poland’s Elziebta Wojcik looking to become the only Irish female boxer besides current IBF/WBO/WBA/WBC champion Katie Taylor to claim a European Elite title.

Click here for finals program.

Wojcik has won Olympic Youth (2014) and World Youth (2014) gold, as has Russia’s Anastasia Shamonova who O’Rourke beat in the semi-finals last night.

Both women will be in the ring at approximately 7pm (Irish time this evening.

As things stand, O’Rourke is guaranteed at least silver and Amy Broadhurst will be bringing home bronze from Madrid.

The Irish squad are due to arrive home via Dublin Airport this Sunday morning at 10.40am. (Flight 1B3792; Departure Madrid: 09.10. Arrival Dublin: 10.40 (Terminal 1).

(Images courtesy of Margit Kincses)

 

 

European Women’s Elite Championships Madrid, Spain August 22/31

August 31

Final 

75kg Aoie O’Rourke (Ireland) v Elziebta Wojcik (Poland)

 

Results

August 30

S/Finals

60kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) lost to Mira Potkonen (Finland) 0-5
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) beat Anastasia Shamonova (Russia) 4-1

August 28

Q/Finals

60kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) beat Anastasia Belokova (Russia) 5-0

69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Darima Sandakova (Russia) 1-4

August 27

Last 16

69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) beat Leonie Anna Van Leeuwen (Netherlands) 5-0

August 26

Last 16

51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) lost to Naz Buse Cakiroglu (Turkey) 0-5

60kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) beat Dominika Ciklova (Czech Republic) 5-0

Q/Final

75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) beat Tetiana Petrovich (Ukraine) 5-0

August 25

Last 32

51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) beat Krisztina Beri (Hungary) RSC2

Irish squad

51kg: Ceire Smith (Cavan/Virginia)
60kg: Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan) (Bronze)
69kg: Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
75kg: Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) (Silver, at least)

Team manager: JP Kinsella

Coaches: Zaur Antia and Damian Kennedy

Physio; David Cooke