MEDAL ALERT – Aoife O’Rourke Adds to her Continental Collection
Aoife O’Rourke will have to wait a little longer to get her hands on the ticket to Paris but she did ensure she will leave Poland with another major medal around her neck this evening.
The Olympic Galway middleweight was too good for Love Nelli Holgersson dominating their quarter-final from start to finish.
As a result, the Roscommon favourite stepped onto the European Games podium and secured a bronze medal at the very least.
Unlike it was in the case of Kellie Harrington, Dean Clancy and Michaela Walsh, quarter-final victory wasn’t enough to secure Olympic qualification for the O’Rourke.
The two-time European Championship gold medal winner will have to win her next bout and reach the final to make sure she is Paris bound.
Aoife O'Rourke guarantees herself a spot on the middleweight podium, powering past Love Nelli Holgersson of Sweden.
— Kevin Byrne (@KevByrneBox) June 28, 2023
Fights Elzbieta Wojcik in the semi for a place at Paris 2024. O'Rourke beat the Pole in last year's European Championships final#EG2023 pic.twitter.com/ODDRHSe69h
O’Rourke was the aggressor from the off. Her head movement negated her rangy foe’s long jab and once she slipped inside she let hurtful punches fly.
The Swede adopted a more aggressive approach in the second, letting her hands go in a bid to find a route back into the fight. However, O’Rourke was still on top and punished Holgersson aggression with solid head-rocking shots to secure another round
The 25-year-old who had to dig deep and move through the gears in her opening bout yesterday was able to take her foot off the gas in the final stanza as she cantered to another major medal win.
O’Rourke now fights Elzbieta Wojcik for a place in the final and on the plane to Paris.
