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Michaela Walsh stuns world champion at European Games

Ireland have won two more boxing medals at the European Games. Grainne Walsh and Michaela Walsh have...


Michaela Walsh stuns world cha...

Sport

Michaela Walsh stuns world champion at European Games


Ireland have won two more boxing medals at the European Games.

Grainne Walsh and Michaela Walsh have booked their place in the semi-finals and are assured of at last bronze in Minsk.

Belfast featherweight Michaela Walsh has shocked the reigning world women's featherweight champion Ornella Wahner on a split decision in their boxing quarter-final in Minsk.

Four of the five judges called the bout in Walsh's favour and she advances to the semi-finals.

It's the latest international senior medal for the 26-year-old, who has previously taken bronze at the Europeans and silver twice at the Commonwealth Games as well as being crowned EU champion in 2017.

Walsh says she was determined not to seize her opportunity this afternoon.

"I boxed her as a youth boxer in the semi-finals of the World Championships. She stole my dream of becoming a youth world champion.

"I wasn't going to let her steal my dream of becoming European Games champion."

Offaly welterweight Grainne Walsh also upset the odds in her quarter-final, getting an unanimous decision over current European champion Elina Gustafsson.

The Spartacus Tullamore fighter is a previous EU bronze medalist and narrowly missed out on a world medal last year.

Kurt Walker, Aoife O'Rourke and world lightweight champion Kellie Harrington will all be in quarter-final later.



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