Golden girl: Ava Henry wins European GOLD in Croatia
Classy Ava Henry grabbed her second European gold on Sunday afternoon.
The Dublin Docklands light-welter was crowned European Youth Champ after a dominant final win over Yulia Stupakova.
Ireland co-captain Henry gave a display of ring craft in Croatia that belied her years.
Henry adds European Youth gold to the European Junior gold captured in 2022 and becomes Ireland’s 11th European Youth champ.
The fast-handed Henry burst from the blocks. Tidy, yet explosive when she could, Henry was up on four of the five cards at the end of the first round.
Henry, a 2019 EUBC schoolgirls silver medallist in Tbilisi, was in against no mug with Stupakova having won the European Junior 60kgs title last year in Romania.
Henry stopped Kata Muncz to open her account in Porec. She defeated an old foe in Kinga Krowka from Poland to reach the final at theIntersport Hall.
Henry showed good patience in the second, picking her moments wonderfully.
A cracking right hand shook Stupakova in her shoes a minute into the second round. Henry followed up with a reminder that it was no one off.
Henry weaved under Stupakova’s shots as easily as she had ducked under the ropes at the outset.
Henry was firmly in control and, having taken a clean sweep of 10-9 scores in the second, four of the five ringside judges gave her the third.
Henry was given a 30-27 decision by those four with the Estonian judge bizarrely giving two rounds in favour of Stupakova.
Henry follows in the footsteps of Cathal O’Grady, Jason Quigley, Gary Cully, Michael Nevin, Amy Broadhurst, Daina Moorehouse, Niamh Fay, Bobbi Flood, Dearbhla Tinnelly and Cliona Darcy to take Ireland’s European Youth golden haul to 11.
