RIO OLYMPICS DRAW

Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes in Rio

Michael Conlan and Paddy Barnes in Rio

David Oliver Joyce and Stephen Donnelly will be the first Irish boxers in action at the Rio Olympics on Sunday.

The St Michael’s Athy BC and Ballymena BC men were paired with Andrique Allisop of the Seychelles and Zohir Kedache of Algeria at today’s draw in Rio.

Click here for draw sheets.

London 2012 gold and bronze medallists Katie Taylor and Michael Conlan, both ranked No. 1 in the world in their respective weights by the International Boxing Association, received byes.

Taylor goes straight into the quarter-finals on August 15 and is one win away from at least bronze. The Olympic champion faces either Finland’s Mira Potkonen or Brazil’s Adriana Araujo, who meet on August 12.

Conlan awaits the winner of the Aram Avagyan (Armenia) and Arashi Mariska (Japan) clash in the last 16. Paddy Barnes, Joe Ward and Brendan Irvine are between the ropes next Monday, Wednesday and Saturday week.

286 boxers – 250 men and 36 women – will compete at the Games.

52 gold, silver and bronze medals are up for grabs in the 13 – 10 for men and 3 for women – weight classes.

Irish Draw Rio Olympics

August 7th (last 32)

60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Andrique Allisop (Seychelles)

69kg Stephen Donnelly (Ireland) v Zahir Kedache (Algeria)

August 8th (last 16)

49kg Paddy Barnes (Ireland) v Artur Havhannisyan (Armenia) or Samuel Carmona (Spain)

August 10th (last 16)

81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Serge Michel (Germany) or Andrea Mina (Ecuador)

August 12th (last 16)

75kg Michael O’Reilly (Ireland) v Uziel Rodriquez (Mexico) or Waheed Karawi (Iraq)

August 13th (last 32)

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan)

August 14th (last 16)

56kg Michael Conlan (Ireland) v Aram Avagyan (Armenia) or Arashi Mariska (Japan)

August 15th (Q/Finals)

60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Mira Potkonen (Finland) or Adriana Araujo (Brazil)

Irish squad

Women
60kg (Lightweight) – Katie Taylor (Bray)

Men
49kg (Light-flyweight) – Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
52kg (Flyweight) – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
56kg (Bantamweight) – Michael Conlan (Clonard)
60kg (Lightweight) – David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy & AIBA Pro Boxing)
69kg (Welterweight) – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)
75kg (Middleweight) – Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise)
81kg (Light-heavyweight) – Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)

Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, John Conlan
Physio: Julianne Ryan
Sport Psychologist: Gerry Hussey