Carleigh Irving takes European silver after U22 final defeat in Sofia
Carleigh Irving will sport the scars of battle and a silver medal from the European U22 Championships.
The Oakleaf Boxing Club minimumweight will bring home silver from Sofia after losing a split decision in the 48kgs final on Saturday.
Turkey’s Nursselen Yalgattekin got the better of the Derry woman in the final.
Irving was bloodied close to the left eye towards the second round.
The bout began in something of an explosive fashion with Irving looking at home behind a solid left jab.
The second was rather messier, with Yalgattekin growing into the bout. Just shy of the clapper, the referee stepped in and Irving, leaking crimson, was looked at by a medic at ringside.
Irving found some solace on the stool for the next minute and put in a strong performance over the final three minutes.
Alas, the judges sided with Yalgattekin who tops the charts and goes home with the gold.
At the 2019 European Schoolgirls Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, Irving – who was then boxing out of the Illies Golden Gloves club in Donegal – won a bronze medal. There, having beaten Pinar Ozkan from Turkey, Irving lost out to England’s Jessica Keeton in a semi-final.
Later today, Castlerea BC light-middle Lisa O’Rourke goes up against IBA-B’s Darya Letsko in the 70kgs final.
On Sunday, 48kgs Louis Rooney and 54kgs Patsy Joyce will go for gold in finals while Robyn Kelly, Clepson dos Santos, Bobbi Flood and Martin McDonagh have won bronze medals.
Team Ireland
48kg Carleigh Irving, Oakleaf Boxing Club
54kg Robyn Kelly, Ballynacargy Boxing Club
57kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal Boxing Club
63kg Linda Desmond, Rylane Boxing Club
66kg Kaci Rock, Enniskerry Boxing Club
70kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea Boxing Club
75kg Bethany Dooecy, Castlebar Boxing Club
48kg Louis Rooney, Star Boxing Club
51kg Clepson dos Santos, Holy Trinity ABC
54kg Patsy Joyce, Olympic BC Mullingar
57kg Gavin Ryan, Ratoath Golden Gloves Boxing Club
63.5kg Roy Colgan, Avona Boxing Club
67kg Luke Hall, Olympic Boxing Club Mullingar
71kg Bobbi Flood, Cabra Boxing Club
75kg Josh Olaniyan, Jobstown Boxing Club
80kg James Whelan, Dublin Docklands Boxing Club
86kg Kian Hedderman, St. Francis Boxing Club
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Galway Boxing Club
