MEDAL ALERT – Katie O’Keefe Banks European Youth Bronze
Class Katie O’Keefe sauntered into the European Youth semi finals in Sofia this afternoon.
The Kanturk teenager got a busy day of quarter-final action for Team Ireland off to a perfect start as she defeated Pia Jarvinen of Finland to secure a podium place.
The six time Irish champion showed real class winning every round of her European Youth debut to secure a well-deserved unanimous points victory and a bronze medal at the very least.
The victory means O’Keefe, who is one of the youngest fighters in the entire tournament, is now a three-time European medal winner, she can a European Youth to the 2018 and 2019 European School Girl medals that already decorate her trophy cabinet.
Both fighters were busy in the first round and almost seemed to throw simultaneously. There seemed to be a little more thought behind the Irish 50kg representative work and she looked the stronger of the two. O’Keefe also finished the stanza well, figuring out the Fin and landing eye-catching shots much to the delight of her very vocal teammates.
The Kanturk fighter doubled up the jab in the second against her fleet-footed and taller opponent whilst getting inside the lead hand of her foe.
She was in and out with quality shots, showing great variety and going to the body impressively. The cheer from Team Ireland ringside suggested she won the stanza and only had to survive the final session to win a second European medal.
However, O’Keefe was enjoying herself and not in the mood just to dance her way into the semis. The 16-year-old turned on the style in the final round against a game Fin. She brought out the check left hook, landed with some brilliantly placed screw uppercuts, traded with a fighter looking for a knockout, and was comfortable enough to produce a bit of show boating in the last 30 seconds.
O’Keefe’s win brings Team Ireland’s medal tally to two, as she joins 81kg fighter Dearbhla Tinnelly as a semi-finalist.
Five more Irish fighter will be looking to join them on the podium today.
