Aoife O’Rourke wins Strandja GOLD
Aoife O’Rorke claimed Strandja gold in Bulgaria today.
The Roscommon fighter battled her way onto the top of the podium winning her final this afternoon.
The Olympic Galway middleweight having defeated reigning Asian Games middleweight champion and two-time Olympic medal winner Qian Li in the semi-final, O’Rourke found herself up against the reigning the U22 Champion of Asia, Baison Manikon on Sunday.
The Thai fighter proved a worthy foe and played her part in a very entertaining fight.
However, O’Rourke proved herself the better of the two and cemented her status as a genuine Olympic medal hope with another brilliant win.
O’Rourke came out the right side of 29-28, 26-30,28-29,27-30, 30-27 scorecard.
Castlerea middleweight @AoifeORourke11 wins gold at the prestigious Strandja Cup in Bulgaria
— Chris McNulty (@ChrisMcNultyDgl) February 11, 2024
O’Rourke emerging as a real medal hope for Olympics
Defeats Thailand’s Baison Manikon – the Asian U22 champ – in the final. Cards of 30-26, 29-28, 30-27, 28-29, 27-30 in her favour pic.twitter.com/CD3cUNsKnM
Team
50kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, Mayo*
54kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family GG, Belfast
66kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
51kg Rickey Nesbitt, Holy Family BC, Drogheda
57kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway
63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim
71kg Eugene McKeever, Holy Family, Drogheda
92kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin, Dublin.
