European Games: Ireland’s Olympic champion Kellie Harrington first boxer in ring

Ireland’s Tokyo Olympic champion Kellie Harrington will be the first boxer into the ring in the European Games when the competition gets underway on Friday.

She will face Miroslava Jedinakova from Slovakia in the lightweight division.

Harrington’s initial goal in Poland is to make the semi-finals and clinch the opportunity to defend her Olympic gold medal in Paris next year.

In athletics, Ireland gained promotion to Division 2 of the European Team Championships by winning Division 3.

The Ireland team took victory by nearly 20 points from Austria.

In the unseeded boxing draw, Harrington was paired with Jedinakova, who has dropped down a weight division to lightweight since finishing fifth at last year’s European Championships.

The same applies to Newtownstewart’s Commonwealth champion Jude Gallagher who takes on Bulgarian Javier Ibanez Diaz in a last 32 clash at featherweight.

Gallagher’s opponent has twice reached the quarter-finals at the past two World Championships and won a bronze medal at the 2022 Europeans.

The third Irish boxer in action on the first day of competition is lightweight Dean Clancy, who takes on 19-year-old Austrian Arsen Chabyan.

Elsewhere in the draw featherweight Michaela Walsh has a tough opening bout after being drawn against Greece’s Olga Pavlina Papadatou. Both fighters were beaten semi-finalists at last year’s Europeans.

Amy Broadhurst faces Milena Matovic from Serbia at welterweight. The two met at last year’s Europeans with Broadhurst winning their quarter-final bout 5-0 en route to taking the title at light-welterweight.

Both boxers have had to move up a weight to the Olympic welterweight division but Broadhurst should still take confidence from that win last October.

Over the three days of competition Ireland’s athletes recorded 14 first-place finishes including Sophie O’Sullivan, daughter of Olympic medallist Sonia, who impressed to win the women’s 1500m in 4.27.96 in what was her first senior international appearance for Ireland.

Other winners on Thursday were Mark Smyth, who produced a clinical performance to win the men’s 200m in 20.66 and Eric Favors, who traces his Irish roots back to Ballina, who won the men’s shot put, throwing 20.28m.

There were also victories in the field for David Cussen (men’s high jump) and Ruby Millet (women’s long Jump).

Finn Valley athlete Sommer Lecky was third in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 1.74m.

Ireland’s 4x400m mixed relay team, anchored by Sharlene Mawdsley, rounded off the event with a comfortable victory crossing the line in 3.17.16.

Athletics Ireland High Performance Director Paul McNamara was delighted with the performance of his team.

“We smashed it in the end. All the athletes delivered over the three days, but I think we had some really heroic performances today that pushed us across the line.”

Women’s 50kg – Daina Moorehouse (IRL) Bye

Women’s 54kg – Jennifer Lehane (IRL) V Sara Cirkovic (SRB)

Women’s 57kg – Michaela Walsh (IRL) V Olga Pavlina Papadatou (GRE)

Women’s 60kg – Kellie Harrington (IRL) V Miroslava Jedinakova (SVK)

Women’s 66kg – Amy Broadhurst (IRL) V Milena Matovic (SRB)

Women’s 75kg – Aoife O’Rourke (IRL) Bye

Men’s 51kg – Sean Mari (IRL) Bye

Men’s 57kg – Jude Gallagher (IRL) V Javier Ibanez Diaz (BUL)

Men’s 63.5kg – Dean Clancy (IRL) V Arsen Chabyan (AUT)

Men’s 71kg – Dean Walsh (IRL) Bye

Men’s 80kg – Kelyn Cassidy (IRL) V Mindaugas Gedminas (NOR)

Men’s 92kg – Jack Marley (IRL) Bye