Michaela Walsh weighed in this morning ahead of her featherweight final with Bulgaria’s Stanmira Petrova at the European Games in Minsk, Belarus.
Bout No. 288 of the tournament begins in Ring 1 at 2pm (Irish time) this afternoon at the Uruchie Sports Palace.
Sofia-native Petrova is the current European feather (57kg) champion.The 28-year-old Rio 2016 Olympian won European gold at bantam (54kg) in 2016 two years after securing World gold at the same limit in Korea.
The Bulgarian orthodox is the No. 3 seed in Minsk. Walsh, the reigning EU champion and a two-time Commonwealth finalist, has already beaten Germany’s No. 1 seed Ornella Wahner en route to the final.
Belfast-born Walsh secured Chemistry Cup (World Cup) gold earlier this year in Germany. The Irish champion has won three fights on her way to today’s final.
Irish team captain Kellie Harrington and Kurt Walker box in the lightweight and bantamweight finals tomorrow morning. Click on Irish names in below draw for times.
Harrington will be aiming to keep the women’s lightweight crown in Ireland as the only other fighter to hold the title is current unified pro champion Katie Taylor who won gold at the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015.
As things stand, Irish boxing is guaranteed at least three silver and three bronze medals in Belarus.
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