TEAM IRELAND’S AOIFE and Lisa O’Rourke have both booked a place in the final at the European Elite Championships in Sofia after prevailing in their semi-final bouts today.
Aoife will fight for her fourth European Championship title on Friday, after a 4-1 semi-final win over 2025 World champion Saldant Medenova of Russia in the women’s 75kg category. The judges scored the fight 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 27:30 in favour of O’Rourke.
She will go on to box for the gold medal against Turkey’s Busra Isildar, who is a multiple World and European medallist.
“I’m delighted. If you told me at the start of the year that I’d be heading into a European final, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’m just going to go and enjoy it. I was glad to get yesterday under my belt and felt a lot more at ease today in the ring, getting the nerves out of the way.
“I still get nervous, but I was a bit more settled in myself, and was able to tune into the coaches a lot more. She was still a dominant opponent and I couldn’t step off her.”
Team Ireland's Aoife O'Rourke will box for her fourth European Championship title on Friday.
She set a blistering pace in her semi final against 2025 World champion, Russia's Saldant Medenova and claimed the victory on a 4-1 decision.
Her sister Lisa is also a European finalist after a dominant 5-0 win over Ukraine’s Iryna Lutsak in the 80kg division. The judges gave O’Rourke the clean sweep on a scoreline of 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27.
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Her gold medal bout will be against 2023 World champion, Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian in Thursday’s evening session.
“I’m delighted. Aoife was in before me, so when I heard the red corner got the win, I was delighted. It did give me that extra burst. I made sure to give it my best shot, and thankfully got over the line.”
On fighting at 80kg, she added:
“It’s definitely an advantage, getting to eat a little bit more. But it is a challenge. They’re new girls, even though I might know of them. I’ve never really been in the ring with them.”
Finalist! Team Ireland's Lisa O'Rourke will box for European Elite gold.
She was utterly dominant in her semi final against Ukraine's Iryna Lutsak and claimed the 5-0 win on a scoreline of 5-0, with a clean sweep of the cards: 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27.
Earlier today, Ireland’s Michaela Walsh secured at least a bronze medal, and caused an upset for the home crowd in Sofia, while Jon McConnell will be coming home from the tournament with a bronze medal.
McConnell lost a tight bout against Nabi Isgandarov of Azerbaijan, a World Boxing Cup Brazil bronze medallist. The 4-1 decision went to his opponent on a scoreline of 29:28; 28:29; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28.
He departs the competition with wins over Italy’s Gabriele Guidi Rontani, Poland’s Damian Durkacz and Turkey’s Necat Ekinci.
Double Olympian Walsh took on triple Olympian, Stanimira Petrova, in a 57kg quarter-final. This was a cagey contest, with boxers level on four scorecards into the last.
Michaela dominated the final round and came away with the 5-0 decision. Judges scored the bout 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 27-30.
She’s back in action, and boxing her semi-final, in Thursday’s evening session, where she takes on World Boxing Cup Brazil silver medallist Kukhta Vlagyszlava of Hungary.
Jude Gallagher narrowly missed out on a medal at the European Elite Championships after a galling split-decision defeat to Spain in his 60kg quarter-final.
Tyrone native Gallagher was pipped by the Cuban-born Spaniard, Ewart Marin, on a 3-2 split (30-27, 29-28 x2; 28-29 x2).
Gallagher reacted in disbelief to the judges’ verdict, having performed well in a high-class contest.
Marin, 22, a former World Youth silver medallist, was measured in his celebration before embracing the bewildered Gallagher, a Paris Olympian two years his senior.
Gallagher had earned wins over Maksym Bocarov of Slovakia and Lounes Hamraoui of France before bowing out at the quarter-final stage, his latter victory a stirring comeback stoppage in the Round of 16.
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O'Rourke sisters book European final spots as Michaela Walsh secures at least a bronze medal
LAST UPDATE | 23 Sep
TEAM IRELAND’S AOIFE and Lisa O’Rourke have both booked a place in the final at the European Elite Championships in Sofia after prevailing in their semi-final bouts today.
Aoife will fight for her fourth European Championship title on Friday, after a 4-1 semi-final win over 2025 World champion Saldant Medenova of Russia in the women’s 75kg category. The judges scored the fight 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 27:30 in favour of O’Rourke.
She will go on to box for the gold medal against Turkey’s Busra Isildar, who is a multiple World and European medallist.
“I’m delighted. If you told me at the start of the year that I’d be heading into a European final, I wouldn’t have believed you. I’m just going to go and enjoy it. I was glad to get yesterday under my belt and felt a lot more at ease today in the ring, getting the nerves out of the way.
“I still get nervous, but I was a bit more settled in myself, and was able to tune into the coaches a lot more. She was still a dominant opponent and I couldn’t step off her.”
Her sister Lisa is also a European finalist after a dominant 5-0 win over Ukraine’s Iryna Lutsak in the 80kg division. The judges gave O’Rourke the clean sweep on a scoreline of 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27.
Her gold medal bout will be against 2023 World champion, Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian in Thursday’s evening session.
“I’m delighted. Aoife was in before me, so when I heard the red corner got the win, I was delighted. It did give me that extra burst. I made sure to give it my best shot, and thankfully got over the line.”
On fighting at 80kg, she added:
“It’s definitely an advantage, getting to eat a little bit more. But it is a challenge. They’re new girls, even though I might know of them. I’ve never really been in the ring with them.”
Earlier today, Ireland’s Michaela Walsh secured at least a bronze medal, and caused an upset for the home crowd in Sofia, while Jon McConnell will be coming home from the tournament with a bronze medal.
McConnell lost a tight bout against Nabi Isgandarov of Azerbaijan, a World Boxing Cup Brazil bronze medallist. The 4-1 decision went to his opponent on a scoreline of 29:28; 28:29; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28.
He departs the competition with wins over Italy’s Gabriele Guidi Rontani, Poland’s Damian Durkacz and Turkey’s Necat Ekinci.
Double Olympian Walsh took on triple Olympian, Stanimira Petrova, in a 57kg quarter-final. This was a cagey contest, with boxers level on four scorecards into the last.
Michaela dominated the final round and came away with the 5-0 decision. Judges scored the bout 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 28-29, 27-30.
She’s back in action, and boxing her semi-final, in Thursday’s evening session, where she takes on World Boxing Cup Brazil silver medallist Kukhta Vlagyszlava of Hungary.
Jude Gallagher narrowly missed out on a medal at the European Elite Championships after a galling split-decision defeat to Spain in his 60kg quarter-final.
Tyrone native Gallagher was pipped by the Cuban-born Spaniard, Ewart Marin, on a 3-2 split (30-27, 29-28 x2; 28-29 x2).
Gallagher reacted in disbelief to the judges’ verdict, having performed well in a high-class contest.
Marin, 22, a former World Youth silver medallist, was measured in his celebration before embracing the bewildered Gallagher, a Paris Olympian two years his senior.
Gallagher had earned wins over Maksym Bocarov of Slovakia and Lounes Hamraoui of France before bowing out at the quarter-final stage, his latter victory a stirring comeback stoppage in the Round of 16.
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