Paris 2024: Jude Gallagher wins quarter-final to seal Olympic place
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Jude Gallagher booked his ticket to Paris 2024 by winning his featherweight quarter-final in Italy
Irish featherweight Jude Gallagher beat Turkmenistan's Sukur Ovezov in his World Qualification Tournament quarter-final to seal his place at Paris 2024.
The Tyrone boxer's superior power helped him dominate the contest in Busto Arsizio, near Milan, and secure a unanimous 5-0 decision in his favour.
The 22-year-old from Newtownstewart becomes the sixth Irish boxer to qualify for this summer's Olympics.
Kelyn Cassidy and Grainne Walsh missed out on qualification for the Games.
Offaly woman Walsh was defeated by Poland's Aneta Rygielska in her welterweight quarter-final in Italy on Monday afternoon.
Walsh lost out on a 3-2 split decision from the judges despite her opponent receiving a standing eight count from the referee in the second round. Three of the five judges awarded that round to the Pole.
Rygielska was also docked a point for holding but while the Norwegian and Sri Lankan judges deemed Walsh a clear winner, awarding her a 29-27 victory, the Italian, Argentinian and Moroccan judges scored the fight 28-apiece, meaning that under professional rules, the fight would have deemed a draw.
However, being forced to pick a winner, the three judges opted for Rygielska, sending the Polish fighter to this summer's Games in Paris.
Grainne Walsh with Aneta Rygielska after their welterweight quarter-final
Gallagher knocked down Ovezov in the first round of his bout and won all three rounds on each of the five judges' scorecards.
In his previous fights, the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist defeated India's World Championship bronze medallist from last year Mohammad Hussamuddin on a majority decision.
He then beat Morocco's Soulaimane Samghouli on a 4-1 decision in his last-16 bout on Sunday.
"It's absolutely amazing. Words can't describe what it feels like," said Gallagher after his quarter-final victory.
"Ever since I started boxing my goal was to box at the Olympic Games. Now I've booked my ticket to Paris I can't believe it. It's an unbelievable feeling."
Waterford light-heavyweight Cassidy lost 3-2 on a split decision to Kazakhstan's world champion Nurbek Oralbay.
Oralbay won the opening round on four of the judges' scorecards but the Irish boxer recovered to win the second, before narrowly losing the third.
Tokyo gold medallist Kellie Harrington, Michaela Walsh, Aoife O'Rourke, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley all won their spots at the European Games in Poland last June.
A final qualification tournament will be held in Bangkok at the end of May.