AOIFE O’ROURKE OUTCLASSED her Russian semi-final opponent this evening and will go on to fight for middleweight gold at the European Elite Boxing Championships in Madrid.
The Roscommon woman showed superior technique and used her agility to escape when Anastasia Shamanova attempted to grapple the pace of the fight down to a crawl. O’Rourke prevailed in convincing fashion, albeit on a split decision with one of the five judges awarding the bout Shamanova’s way.
O’Rourke had already secured a minimum of bronze but will now face Poland’s Elzebieta Wojcik for the title tomorrow evening.
Earlier, Mira Potkonen once again punctured Irish boxing hopes as she defeated Dundalk’s Amy Broadhurst in the 60kg European Elite Boxing Championship semi-finals.
Broadhurst bows out from the Madrid event with a bronze medal after harsh scoring in a unanimous decision loss to the Finn who accounted for Katie Taylor at Rio 2016.
The 22-year-old had already secured bronze going into today’s semi-final after quarter-final victory over Anastasia Beliakova.
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