GEE BEE SQUAD NAMED

 

 

Michael O'Reilly (red) in action

 

 

AIBA World No. 3 ranked middleweight Michael O’Reilly has been included in a six-strong Irish squad for the Gee Bee multi-nations in Finland.

The 35th edition of the tournament begins on March 10th in Helsinki and will be Ireland’s final competitive outing before April’s European Olympic qualifiers in Samsun, Turkey.

Current Irish Elite champion Stephen McKenna, Dean Walsh and Darren O’Neill are included in the Gee Bee squad, along with Sean McComb and TJ Waite.

Ireland claimed six medals at the 2015 Gee Bee, with Brendan Irvine (gold), Adam Nolan (gold), Myles Casey (silver), Connor Coyle (silver), Kurt Walk (bronze) and George Bates (bronze)
finishing in podium positions.

The European Olympic qualifiers begin in Samsun on April 7th. The top three in each of the ten male weights – the finalists and winners of box-offs between the beaten semi-finalists – qualify for Rio 2016.

The two two (finalists) in the three women’s Olympics weights – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight – qualify for the 31st Olympiad.

Team Ireland depart for Finland next Thursday.

Irish squad Gee Bee Multi-Nations Helsinki, Finland March 10/14

49kg Stephen McKenna (Old School)

52kg TJ Waite (Ormeau Road)

60kg Sean McComb (Holy Trinity)

64kg Dean Walsh (St Josephs/St Ibars)

75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise)

91kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

Coaches: Zuar Antia, Noel Burke

Physio: Ursla Brooks

R&J: Jim Murrin