HARRINGTON, WALKER AND MICHAELA WALSH THROUGH TO FINALS
Irish captain Kellie Harrington is through to Sunday’s lightweight final at the European Games in Minsk, Belarus.
The No. 1 seed in the 60kg class beat Agnes Alexiusson on a unanimous decision to move to within one win of gold.
Alexiusson won the third and final round of today’s contest 4-1, but Harrington, switching from southpaw to orthodox throughout the first round, had more than enough in the bank after winning the first two frames on all five cards to post a 29-28 x 4, 30-27 verdict.
Earlier, Michaela Walsh upgraded her guaranteed bronze in Minsk.
The Belfast feather beat Russia’s Daria Abramova on a 3-2 split decision to advance to Saturday’s finals.
A close and cagey fight throughout, Walsh was the more tactically astute and accurate to exact a measure of revenge for her European Elite semi-final defeat to the Russian last year.
Abramova was particularly effective with her left hooks, a number of which she delivered with accuracy, but Walsh’s head and body shots and clever evasive manoeuvres were enough to book a ticket’s into Saturday’s 57kg final.
Walsh remarked that the job is not done yet after her third win of the tournament.
She’ll now meet Bulgaria’s Stanmira Petrova for gold tomorrow (2pm, Irish time).
Final scores: 29-28 x 3 to Walsh and 29-28 x 2 against.
Grainne Walsh had to settle for bronze after dropping a 3-2 split to Karolina Koszewsk in the welter division.
Walsh took the fight to the Pole in all three rounds and was the aggressor throughout, but the judges lean toward the rangy Warsaw southpaw who was more or less relying on her backhand to see her through the 69kg decider.
Two judges gave Walsh all three rounds on 30-27,30-27 scores, the other three marked it 30-27,29-28,29-28 to the cagey Polish counter puncher.
Wash admitted after the fight that she fell just short but that she did what she could. A massive performance from the Offaly woman who will be taking home bronze.
The Antrim stylist won 3-2 versus the No. 1 seed and will box for the 56kg crown on Sunday against Mykola Butsenko of Ukraine.
Walker pointed out that four years ago (at the first European Games in Baku) he went out in his first fight and now he’s in the final.
He also hailed the contributions of Irish coaches Zaur Antia, John Conlan and Dimitry Dimitruk who he said have been “working flat out for ten days” in Minsk.
The Bray light fly won the first round 3-2 but Artur Hovannisyan edged the second 3-2 to restore parity before winning the final stanza 4-1. Buckley will be taking home bronze from Minsk.
Michael Nevin was knocked out in the first round versus Italian middleweight Salavtore Cavallaro in an unfortunate end to his campaign at the Urchie Sports Palace.
The former European Youth. Junior and Schoolboy champion was boxing for the fourth time in six days in Belarus and is assured of bronze at 2nd edition of the Games since Baku 2015 where Irish boxing won two gold, silver and bronze.
Irish boxing is guaranteed at least three silver and three bronze from Minsk. Walsh will be between the ropes tomorrow, followed by Walker and Harrington on Sunday.
Click on Irish named names on below draws for times (Irish times).
European Games 2019 Minsk, Belarus
June 30
Finals
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Mira Potkonen (Finland) (10.15am)
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) v Mykola Butsenko (Ukraine) 11.30am)
June 29
Final
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Stanmira Petrova (Bulgaria) (2pm)
June 28
S/Finals
49kg Regan Buckley (Ireland) lost to Artur Hovannisyan (Armenia) 2-3
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Peter McGrail (Team GB) 3-2
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Daria Amramova (Russia) 3-2
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Agnes Alexiusson (Sweden) 5-0
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) lost to Karolina Koszewska (Poland) 2-3
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) lost to Salavtore Cavallaro (Italy) KO1
June 26
Q/Finals
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Samuel Kistohurry (France) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Ornella Wahner (Germany) 4-1
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Irma Testa (Italy) 4-1
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) beat Elina Gustafsson (Finland) 5-0
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) lost to Lauren Price (Team GB) 0-5
June 25
Last 16
64kg James McGivern (Ireland) lost to Hovhannes Bachkov (Armenia) 0-5
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) beat Viktoryia Kebikova (Belarus) 4-1
Q/Finals
49kg Regan Buckley (Ireland) beat Martin Molina (Spain) 4-1
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Guler Serhat (Turkey) 4-1
June 24
Last 16
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Zhirayr Saeqsyan (Armenia) 4-1
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Lenuta Perijoc (Romania) 4-1
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) lost to Yauheni Dauhaliavets (Belarus) 4-1
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) beat Rosie Eccles (Team GB) 4-1
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Mikheil Bakhtidze (Georgia) 1-4
June 23
Last 16
49kg Regan Buckley (Ireland) beat Bator Sagalvev (Russia) 5-0
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Kamran Shakhsuvarly (Azerbaijan) 5-0
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) lost to Toni Filipi (Croatia) 1-4
Last 32
64kg James McGivern (Ireland) beat Michael Takacs (Slovakia) 5-0
June 22
Last 32
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Goce Janeski (Northern Macedonia) 5-0
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Mark Dickinson (Team GB) 3-2
Irish squad
Female
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monsktown A) (Silver, at least)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Marys) (Silver, at least)
69kg Gráinne Walsh (Spartacus) (Bronze)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea)
Male
49kg Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s) (Bronze)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal) (Silver, at least)
64kg James McGivern (St George’s)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise) (Bronze)
91kg Tony Browne (St Michael’s Dublin)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)
Team manager: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association extends its deep condolences to the Keogh family following the death of Olive Keogh.
