IRISH SQUAD HEAD TO PARIS

Team Ireland are en route to Paris this afternoon ahead of the opening bell for the European Olympic qualifiers in the French capital on Friday.

The tournament is a continuation of the London qualifiers which were cancelled after three days of competition in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Brendan Irvine qualified in London and will meet Spain’s Gabriel Escobar for at least bronze in Paris this weekend.

Meanwhile, boxers that require a top six finish to qualify for next month’s Olympics will get two shots at qualification if they reach the quarter-finals and lose as the will go into a box-off to decide the top six in their respective weight classes.

George Bates is one win away for qualification in Paris as he requires a top eight finish.

The draw for the Paris tournament will be published shortly along with the start times and dates.

Irish squad


52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) Cpt (Top 8) (qualified)

63kg George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 8)

69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)

81kg Emmet Brennan (Dublin Docklands) (Top 6)

91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin) (Top 4)

91+kg Gytis Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles) Galway) (Top 4)

Female

57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)

60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 6)

75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon) (Top 4)