OVER HALF OF the Irish team sent to the European Junior [Age 15-17] Boxing Championships in Russia will depart the tournament with some metal in the back pocket.
13 of 25 Irish boxers have guaranteed medals following the conclusion of the quarter-final stage in Anapa on Saturday.
Jon O’Connell of Belfast, who dispatched of a home-country foe during the week, earned a unanimous decision over English flyweight Billy Adams to bag at least bronze. Down at 46, St. Michael’s Athy star Michael Donoghue also saw off an English opponent, Jack Dryden, to reach the last four and seal a podium spot.
Killorglin native Barry O’Connor earned a 3-2 split-decision win over Welsh 57kger Scott Jones, while Sligo’s Patrick Myers blew away the Czech Republic’s 80kg champion inside a round to seal his own bronze medal.
The four victorious Irishmen on Saturday brought Ireland’s medal haul to 13. A day prior, girls’ captain Leanne Murphy, Sinainn Glynn, Lauren Dempsey and Leah Gallen all won their quarter-final ties.
63kg Murphy of Togher forced a standing count of Hungary’s Loretta Bostos en route to a 5-0 whitewash. Ryston 57kg operator Lauren Dempsey and Donegal’s Leah Gallen up at 66 were also blemishless en route to their respective semis and bronze medals.
Cloghan’s Sinainn Glynn dominated Russian opponent Alina Katemrova to reach the last four at 60, picking up a deserved 4-1 split.
Clonmel’s Ellie Mai-Gartland and Kildare’s Kaitlyn Doyle had kicked off Ireland’s quarter-finals in style on Thursday.
Doyle, at 75kg, was relentless in besting Romania’s Georgina Andrei, while at 54, Mai-Gartland beat Bulgaria’s Eva Porumova to set up her own shot at silver.
Kori Goad, Lisa O’Rourke, and Breda Quilligan had already received byes into the semis, guaranteeing bronze before a punch was thrown.
Ireland will have the second-highest representation in Monday’s last-four encounters with 13. Hosts Russia have 19 boxers in semis, while Britain have one fewer than Ireland.
15 October
Semi-finals
- 46kg Breda Quilligan (Ireland) v Gamze Soguksu (Turkey)
- 46kg Michael Donohoe (Ireland) v Mikhail Grigorian (Russia)
- 52kg Jon McConnell (Ireland) v Semiz Alicic (Serbia)
- 54kg Ellie Mai Gartland (Ireland) v Sameenah Toussan (England)
- 57kg Barry O’Connor (Ireland) v Maksim Shumov (Russia)
- 57kg Lauren Dempsey (Ireland) v Michaela Turacova (Slovakia)
- 60kg Sinainn Glynn (Ireland) v Danielle Marshall (England)
- 63kg Leanne Murphy (Ireland) v Maria Berstenova (Russia)
- 66kg Leah Gallen (Ireland) v Miriam Tomasone (Italy)
- 70kg Lisa O’Rourke (Ireland) v Annemarie Schierle (Germany)
- 75kg Kaitlyn Doyle (Ireland) v Margarita Zueva (Russia)
- 80kg Patrick Myers (Ireland) v Loncarie Borna (Croatia)
- 80kg+ Kori Goad (Ireland) v Olowia Toborek (Poland)
13 October
Quarter-finals
- 46kg Michael Donohoe (Ireland) beat Jack Dryden (England) 4-0
- 48kg Michael Maughan (Ireland) lost to Mihail Taranu (Moldova) 2-3
- 50kg Shane O’Brien (Ireland) lost to Michaelle Baldassi (Italy) 2-3
- 52kg Jon McConnell (Ireland) beat Billy Adams (England) 5-0
- 57kg Barry O’Connor (Ireland) beat Scott Jones (Wales) 3-2
- 70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) lost to Alek Trofimouk (Lithuania) 2-3
- 75kg Jason Myers (Ireland) lost to Georgi Gustav (Georgia) 0-5
- 80kg Patrick Myers (Ireland) beat Matous Kasrviank (Czech Rep) RSC1
12 October
Quarter-finals
- 57kg Lauren Dempsey (Ireland) beat Josefin Betist (Netherlands) 5-0
- 60kg Sinainn Glynn (Ireland) beat Alina Katemrova (Russia) 4-1
- 63kg Leanne Murphy (Ireland) beat Loretta Bostos (Hungary) 5-0
- 66kg Leah Gallen (Ireland) beat Finja Bree (Germany) 5-0
Last 16
- 70kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) beat Renato Kozak (Hungary) RSC3
- 75kg Jason Myers (Ireland) beat Angelo Sparaco (Italy) 5-0
- 80+kg Bonvie Ndefi (Ireland) lost to Levanta Kiss (Hungary) RSC2
11 October
Quarter-finals
- 48kg Chloe Gabriel (Ireland) lost to Valeria Linkov (Russia) 1-4
- 52kg Niamh Fay (Ireland) lost to Marie Scott (England) 2-3
- 54kg Ellie Mai Gartland (Ireland) beat Eva Porumova (Bulgaria) 5-0
- 75kg Kaitlyn Doyle (Ireland) beat Georgina Andrei (Romania) 5-0
- 80kg Bethany Doocey (Ireland) lost to Georgiana Schnte (Romania) 2-3
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