History was made in Bangkok Sunday as Jennifer Lehane, Grainne Walsh, and Daina Moorehouse all booked their tickets to Paris, meaning that Ireland is sending a woman to the Olympics in every weight category for the first time.
First of the day’s victories was Jennifer Lehane’s (54kg) 5-0 victory against Hannah Lakotar of Hungary.
“I feel on top of the word, this is what dreams are made of. I can’t believe it!” said a visibly emotional 25-year-old Lehane, who left her job two years ago to try and make her dream a reality after only starting boxing at 20 years old, though she was previously a serious Taekwondo competitor.
Asked what put her over the line, Lehane said, “We sat down together and put down tactics together, and I stuck to my simple boxing and that’s what got me over the line today.”
She's done it!
54kg Jennifer Lehane has qualified for #Paris2024 following a 5-0 victory over Hungary's Hannah Lakotar. pic.twitter.com/WGZgz6Gnif
— IABA (@IABABOXING) June 2, 2024
The good news for Team Ireland continued to roll in with Grainne Walsh’s win over Armenia’s Ani Hovsepyan, with scorecards of 30-26, 30-26, 29-27, 30-26, 30-26. Walsh fell to her knees after the victory, which came after.
“It’s extremely hard to sum up in words this feeling,” she said after, “I feel like it’s all meant to be. I feel like I qualified back in Milan and I came to Bangkok to collect my ticket. I’m just so delighted and over the moon. Having my family here, and the support of the nation and everyone at home…I actually can’t believe it. I’ve lived this moment over in my mind so many times, and to actually have it true now, it’s unbelievable.”
66kg Grainne Walsh is going to #Paris2024!
8 #TeamIreland boxers have now qualified for the Games. https://t.co/7TWJ82uUSl pic.twitter.com/4lhtcrBE7N
— IABA (@IABABOXING) June 2, 2024
Daina Moorehouse was the third victory of the day as she overcame Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova with a 4-1 victory (scored 29-27, 29-27, 29-27, 29-27, 29-29), regardless of being docked a point in the second round for dropping her head.
Daina Moorehouse, newly minted #Paris2024 boxer!
Her qualification means, for the first time, #TeamIreland will include a full squad of women, at all weights.
📸@Tararobins https://t.co/plgwsR7Uhc pic.twitter.com/MJtw6QcMYC
— IABA (@IABABOXING) June 2, 2024
Moorehouse’s qualification was historic in two ways. As the ninth Irish boxer, male or female, to qualify (soon followed by Aidan Walsh), she is part of the largest Irish boxing team ever sent to the Olympics. She was also the sixth woman to qualify, meaning that for the first time in history Ireland will have be represented in every women’s boxing category contested at the Olympics — Moorehouse, Walsh and Lehane join previously qualified boxers Kellie Harrington, Michaela Walsh (sister to Aidan), and Aoife O’Rourke.