European Games: Walsh, Harrington and Clancy book Paris berths but Broadhurst loses
- Published
Michaela Walsh has joined Kellie Harrington as a two-time Olympian after beating Denmark's Melissa Mortensen 5-0 in the European Games quarter-finals.
Earlier, Harrington had come through a tough split decision against Swede Agnes Alexiusson in Poland.
Dean Clancy will also be heading to Paris next summer after a decisive win over Italian Gianluigi Malanga.
Amy Broadhurst says she is considering her future in boxing after losing to GB's Rosie Joy Eccles.
There were also defeats for Jennifer Lehane, Kelyn Cassidy and Daina Moorhouse with those missing out having to put their Olympic dreams on hold until the final World Qualifiers next year.
Ireland still has two opportunities remaining for Olympic qualification after wins for Jack Marley and Aoife O'Rourke, who both need to win their semi-finals on Friday to make Paris.
Belfast featherweight Walsh put on a masterclass as she used all her experience to outclass her younger Danish opponent to secure the semi-finals spot which guaranteed Olympic qualification.
As Mortensen attacked, Walsh simply picked her off, controlling the middle of the ring and not allowing Mortensen to land a punch of any note.
It was as unanimous as it gets. The biggest smile in Nowy Targ belonged to Walsh, who is the first Northern Ireland athlete to qualify for Paris.
She said: "It doesn't feel real - it's just two years since me and Aidan (Walsh) qualified for Tokyo together and I had to do it this time alone but he was here in spirit. I'm just lucky to be here and lucky to be number one in my country because that's not easy."
"It means a lot to qualify but as I've said before I've achieved a lot in my career so everything else is a bonus and this is a bonus and that's how I'm looking at it.
"I always try and do the best I can and fortunately today the best I could do is qualify for my second Olympic Games and I'm very grateful to be able to achieve that."
Flyweight Moorhouse wasn't as lucky in her contest with France's Wassila Lkhadiri. The Bray fighter led after two rounds, winning both 3-2 and looked to have done more than enough in the third to at least earn a split decision.
The judges didn't see it that way, awarding the final round and the fight to Lkhadiri, a result the majority of the crowd disagreed with.
The last Irish fighter in action was middleweight Aoife O'Rourke, who looked more like her usual self after struggling through her opening fight.
However, she had a unanimous 5-0 win over Sweden's Nelli Holgersson as she set up a semi-final with a familiar foe - Elzbieta Wojcik from Poland - who she beat for the European title last October.
Irish middleweight Cassidy looked set to clinch an Olympic spot as he led after two rounds against Tokyo Games silver medallist Oleksandr Khyzhniak, but the Ukrainian forced a standing count in the final session to swing the contest in his favour.
Heavyweight Marley guaranteed himself a European Games bronze medal after a comprehensive win over Croatian Marko Calic, but he still needs to win his semi-final over Spaniard Emmanuel Reyes to make the Olympics as there are only two places available.
'I was retiring without telling anyone'
In her lightweight quarter-final, Dubliner Harrington took the first two rounds on a 3-2 split decision as she was tested strongly by the Swede which left everything riding on the last three minutes.
Despite not doing anything spectacular, Harrington won it 5-0 for an overall 4-1 win and afterwards the tears flowed at what she had just achieved.
"To be honest I thought I'd pinched both rounds but look a win is a win," said the Tokyo Olympic champion.
"I feel like I'm finally getting back to enjoying the sport again. There have been moments when I thought I didn't want to be here. I was retiring, without telling anyone.
"If I'd lost out there and hadn't made Paris, that would have been my cue to get out so it looks like I'm, going to be around a little while longer," said Harrington.
A regular in the non-Olympic light-welterweight [63kg] category, Broadhurst has had to move up to welterweight [66kg] where she was edged out 3-2 by Great Britain's Rosie Joy Eccles, who has come down from fighting at 69kg.
The tight contest saw Broadhurst marginally win the first round, before Eccles edged the second and decisive third as she caught the Irish fighter too many times.
Broadhurst had talked so passionately about making the Olympics but Wednesday's defeat has led to her questioning her future.
"Heartbroken isn't the word - I always thought my destiny was the Olympic Games, I believed I was born for boxing, I was to be an Olympic champion and that's not the way it's gone for me," she said on social media.
"I don't know what's next. I don't know if I'll ever strap an amateur glove around my hand again or if I'll go pro. But I just want to say thank you to everyone who showed me support over the years."
County Meath woman Lehane, competing in her first European Games, put up a brave display against Stanimira Petrova but the Bulgarian was given a 5-0 verdict.
"She was a tough opponent, I know she has a lot of experience, she's been around the block a few times," said Lehane.
"This isn't the end of the journey for me and I live and I learn and I'll go again."
Sligo lightweight Clancy said his late grandfather Tony, who passed away at the weekend and was laid to rest on Wednesday, was "looking down on me" after his unanimous win over Italian Malanga.
Clancy has been a revelation at these Games and once again outboxed and outpunched his opponent, regularly having the Italian on the ropes.
His tactics of coming out and trying to win the fight in the first two rounds and then hold on in the third has proven successful and ultimately won him a place at the Olympics.
"I said the coaches let's have a good six minutes and enjoy the last three," said Clancy.
"I was given a good game plan and it worked and I'm delighted with the performance.
"It's a dream come true since a young age. Words can't describe it, to get to the Olympics is the pinnacle of all sports and it will take a few days to sink in."
BADMINTON
In badminton, Ireland's Rachael Darragh bowed out of the Games after narrowly losing her final singles group game 2-0 against Xuefei Qi.
The Ulsterwoman has competed at previous European Games in Baku and Minsk.
"The first set was close up until the interval, and then she kind of took a few points and stayed two or three points ahead of me," said Darragh.
"I had a lead in the second set, and she went down with an injury. I think I struggled with my focus after that, because she took so long to come back on court.
"I'm quite frustrated right now because that was the seed in my group, and while I'm happy to put in a good performance today, I'm really disappointed not to take that second set."
Darragh now travels to Canada and the US for competitions next month as she chases Olympic qualification.
TRIATHLON
Team Ireland triathletes James Edgar and Luke McCarron finished 41st and 47th in the individual men's events on their European Games debut.
"I had a good second lap of the swim coming out of the water just off the front group, but I just didn't have the power on the bike coming out of transition, which was unfortunate because the whole race came together for the run," said Lisburn man Edgar.
Derry competitor McCarron, competing in his first major championships, said: "The European Games are something really really cool.
"My mum and dad came over and my girlfriend, it's been really great getting into the village experiencing a major championship for the first time.
"I'm grateful for this opportunity and hopefully I can go on and keep going to major championships and start improving my performance."