‘Special’ Sisters Shoot for Silver – The O’Rourke Siblings Contest World Semi Finals
Lisa and Aoife O’Rourke are now among the very few siblings in Irish sport to contest for World medal up-grades in different categories of the same sport.
The Roscommon sisters are assured of bronze after wins in Yesterday’s Women’s World Championship quarter-finals.
2022 World champion, Lisa O’Rourke, had 24 hours to rest and recover after her quarter final – she boxed for a medal against Morocco’s Saida Lahmidi, a tough and canny operator who saw off her QF opponent by RSC. This bout resulted in a standing count for each boxer, with O’Rourke taking each round. The decision was unanimous.
And after a long wait, double Olympian 75kg Aoife O’Rourke, openned her account. She is the top seed at the weight and as such, she had a bye to the quarter finals. She justified that ranking against Aziza Zokirova of Uzbekistan, winning the first round 4-1, a score mirrored in the final result: 30:27; 28:29; 30:27
30:27; 30:27.
High Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia, says “Lisa and Aoife are very special people – and unique boxers. They both have extraordinary power, courage and skill, which they have displayed today against talented opposition. I am very proud of both of them – and of the entire team. This first year of the Olympic cycle is a development year. All boxers on this team have shown the great ability to develop their skill even further. This is excellent, and hopeful for the future of Irish boxing”
Semi Finals
Its straight back to action for both as semi finals take place today.
Older sibling, Aoife is up first, stepping between the ropes in bout 10 of the Afternoon Session. She meets home boxer, Serbia’s Nikolina Gajic. Lisa is in the ring in bout 9 of the Evening Session, at around 7.15pm, Irish time. She contests against Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova The 25 year old is the reigning Asian champion at the weight
Watch
Aoife’s Semi Final
Lisa’s Semi Final
Team Ireland
48kg Carleigh Irving, Oakleaf Boxing Club, Derry
50kg Daina Moorehouse, Enniskerry Boxing Club, Wicklow
54kg Jenny Lehane, DCU Athletic Boxing Club, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family GG, Belfast
66kg Grainne Walsh, St. Mary’s BC Tallaght, Dublin
70kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
81+kg Judy Bobbett, Liberty Boxing Club, Wicklow.
Team Manager, Ciara Plunkett
Head Coach Zauri Antia
Coach Damian Kennedy
Coach Eoin Pluck
Physiotherapist Rob Tuomey.
