Aidan Walsh Gets Olympic Qualifier Nod
Aidan Walsh won the light middleweight Mexican standoff and will represent Ireland in the final Olympic Qualifier.
Olympian Walsh, Eugene McKeever and Dean Walsh were all offered the chance to impress their way into the team late last month – and after running all three names through their assessment parameters the High Performance have selected Aidan Walsh.
The Belfast fighter will now represent Ireland at the final World qualifier, which takes place in Thailand between May 25 and June 2.
The Wexford IABA revealed as much when bemoaning the fact Elite Champion Dean Walsh was overlooked.
It’s understood McKeever is first reserve and will compete at the upcoming European Games and Dean Walsh is third in line in a talent-packed weight.
It’s also understood Dean Walsh missed the assessment because he handed returned in time from a hand injury.
Aidan Walsh, 26, who won Olympic bronze in Tokyo, fought for the right to travel to Paris in Italy last month but lost out to Wanderson Oliveira in the preliminary round. The Commonwealth gold medal winner now gets a second chance to qualify.
His selection means all those not qualified for Paris that were selected for the first qualifier in Italy retain their place on the team
Six Irish boxers go into 2024 with their Summer plans already sorted.
Kellie Harrington, Dean Clancy, Michaela Walsh, Aoife O’Rourke, Jack Marley and Jude Gallagher have all booked their places on the plane to Paris 2024.
Hypothetically, there is room for seven more Irish fighters on that plane but there is some work to do to earn a ticket.
That work will be done in Thailand in May.
