MEDAL ALERT – Fericous Feather Kayleigh Byrne wins European Bronze – at least
Fericous featherweight Kayleigh Byrne forced her way onto the European Junior Championships podium today.
The Gorey BC history maker didn’t just win a medal she went and grabbed it with an all-action high-paced performance in Sarajevo.
The teen talent became Ireland’s first medal winner at this year’s installment of the prestigious tournament and Gorey’s first ever major international medalist after she outpointed Asija Turkovic.
Considering Turkovic hails from Bosnia and Herzegovina there were the natural concerns that always come with fighting a home boxer. However, Byrne wasn’t going to leave anything to doubt and moved into an insurmountable lead thanks to an aggressive front-foot display across the first six minutes.
The win sees Byrne secure bronze at least, she will box for silver on Friday.
Byrne came out firing. She got under the long arms of her quarter-final foe and let loaded shots go. Turkovic did have success anytime there was respite and she could pick her shots from range, but those downtimes were few and far between across the first three minutes as the Gorey fighter was ferocious in tempo and intent.
The Wexford fighter picked her moments in the second but anytime she poured forward she was hurting the home fighter. Flurries up and down stairs that always ended with a stinging shot, be it straight right or left hook, helped her finish the round ahead on four of the cards going into the last.
With one foot on the podium, the Willow Park native used her feet in the last, skirting around the ring and showed she has much skill as will. it was an approach that lost her the stanza 3-2 but it mattered not as the medal was in the bag.
A point deduction Paige Nickels in an entertaining medal bout down the scales at 50 kg. Banbridge’s first-ever Irish Junior Cadet champion won the first round across the board but ultimately succumbed to a comeback from Turkey’s Kubra Cicek and suffered 5-0 defeat.
Isabel Nolan also lost early in the afternoon session, her pursuit of hardware halted by Russia’s Kseniia Vishnevskaia. The Santry fighter showed serious skill throughout and was particularly standout in the final round. However, the judges preferred the explosive style of a very talented Rusian and she won 4-1.
Abby Molloy, Cassie Henderson, Carly Norris, Kaysie Joyce, Chloe Poleon and Alanna Kenny will all look to join Byrne in the medals when they contest the evening session hosted quarter-finals.
Team
46kg Abby Molloy, Sacred Heart, Dublin
48kg Isabel Nolan, Santry
50kg Paige Nickles, Banbridge
52kg Mary Ann Furlong, Na Fianna
54kg Molly Doyle, Templemore
57kg Kayleigh Byrne, Gorey
60kg Sarah McTiernan, Drumsna
63kg Kaysie Joyce, Clonmel
66kg Cassie Henderson, Phoenix
70kg Chloe Poleon, Dunboyne
75kg Carly Norris, Santry
80kg Alanna Kenny, Clonmel
46kg Oliver Plachta, St Francis
48kg Michael O’Reilly, St Paul’s, Waterford
50kg Kalib Walsh, Wexford
52kg Eddie Corcoran, Olympic L
54kg Jason Donoghue, Olympic L
57kg Joseph Mihai, Crumlin
60kg Desmond Sweeney, Olympic C
63kg Edward Harty, Portlaoise
66kg John Donoghue, Olympic L
70kg Cathal Myers, Sligo City
75kg William Heaphy, Golden Gloves M
80kg John Mongans, Rathkeale
81+kg Johnny McGinley, Gateway
Team Manager: Peter O’Donnell
Team Manager: Karen Robins
Coach: Brian Barry
Coach: Paul Simpson
Coach: Alan Donnellan
R&J: Barry Tucker.
