Four members of Team Ireland — Shannon Sweeney, Michaela Walsh, Amy Broadhurst, and Christina Desmond — have all progressed to semi-finals in the Women's European Boxing Championships in Montenegro, thereby guaranteeing themselves each a bronze and a chance to win silver or gold.
Of the nine team members who won through to the quarter-finals, four more will play today for their chance to progress. Only flyweight Carly McNaul has been eliminated so far, after a bout with Italian Olena Savchuk.
Minimum weight 48kg southpaw Shannon Sweeney guaranteed her bronze by dominating in her bout with Slovakia's Nicole Durikova. The Mayo fighter forced three standing counts in the first two rounds, thereby automatically ending the fight.
Dundalk's light-welterweight Amy Broadhurst also won her bronze with three stoppages forcing the end of a match in the second round, in her bout with Serbian Milena Matovic.
Macroom's light-middleweight southpaw Christina Desmond secured her spot in the semi-finals after dominating in three rounds with Sweden's Malena Hede.
Featherweight Michaela Walsh won gold in this year's Commonwealth Games, and she showed her strength once again against Romania's Claudia Nechita in a 4-1 points victory to win her bronze. The Belfast fighter only improved throughout the bout, winning the first round on three of five scorecards, the second on four, and the third on all five.
The remaining Team Ireland members are Olympic gold lightweight medallist Kellie Harrington, middleweight Aoife O'Rourke (who won gold in the 2019 championships), welterweight Kaci Rock, and light flyweight Caitlin Fryers. All will play their quarter-final bouts tonight.
The EUBC and the IABA will be streaming these fights on their YouTube channels.
