Aoife O’Rourke is World Champion.
The Roscommon native received World Boxing Championship gold with victory in Liverpool on Sunday to affix a distinguished listing of Irish boxers that features her sister Lisa.
The Castlerea abilities stepped onto the highest of the rostrum following a extremely bodily remaining in opposition to Turkey’s Busra Isildar.
Judges scored the bout 28:29, 27: 30, 27:30, 27: 30, 28: 29.
The medal is the doule Olympian’s second World medal this yr – she claimed silver on the IBA Ladies’s Worlds in March.
The 4 ime European medal winner fought her approach to the ultimate with victories over Czech Republic’s Monika Langerova, fellow Olympian, Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad and 2023 Phrase Champ China’s Chengyu Wang.
Chatting with World Boxing after her well-known win, she stated “It’s unbelievable, it hasn’t even sunk in but. The entire buzz and the environment right here is simply…I’m overwhelmed with pleasure, enjoyment, the whole lot. It’s a tremendous feeling. Lengthy might it final!
O’Rourke is amongst one of many few boxers to have received World gold and silver in the identical yr. She and her sister, Lisa, a World champ in 2022, are actually amongst a choose group of sibling World champions. Each are members of Castlerea BC. Different Irish gold medal winners on the stage embody Michael Conlan, Katie Taylor, Kellie Harrington, Amy Broadhurt and Lisa O’Rourke.
Staff Eire’s Patsy Joyce and Grainne Walsh additionally claimed medals in Liverpool, each profitable Bronze
The 19 yr outdated Westmeath man, contesting at 55kg, has had an unbelievable World Boxing Championships journey, with three wins. The primary, over Jaeyong Shin of Korea, the second over Cuban-born Bulgarian Olympian and World and European medalist, Javier Ibanez Diaz, and the third over Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov – an Asian champion and World Boxing Cup medalist. The latter two of Joyce’s opponents are greater than a decade his senior. He misplaced his semi-final, in opposition to Rafael Serrano Lozano, a Paris Olympian, in a hair’s breadth-close bout.
Offaly’s Grainne Walsh carved her path to the semi-finals with a powerful Final 32 stage win over Jessica Triebelova of Slovakia, the place she was dominant, coming away with a 5-0 win. She boxed a masterful contest on the Final 16 stage in opposition to Mariana Soto Torres of Spain, and a second unanimous choice. The Offaly lady claimed her bronze medal by defeating the Paris Olympics silver medalist China’s Yang Liu 3-2. She contested her semi-final on Friday in opposition to Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeyeva. This was a high-tempo, shut quarters bout and the 5-0 choice went to Abikeyeva. Judges scored the bout: 28:29, 28:29, 28:29, 28:29, 27: 30.
These championships are the primary since 2015 through which Eire has received 3 world medals at a single match. Patsy Joyce can also be the primary male boxer to medal at world stage since his cousin, Rio Olympian Joe Ward, received silver in Hamburg in 2017.
Excessive Efficiency Director and Staff Eire World Boxing Championships Staff Supervisor Jon Mackey says “World Gold – what a title so as to add to Aoife’s prolonged catalogue of achievements. Double Olympian. 4-time continental champ. World silver medalist and now World champ. She is a category above. She’s had 4 huge battles and has confirmed her mettle, her technical ability and her physicality in every of them. She’s carried out herself, Staff Eire, and her household proud. Aoife’s work ethic is outstanding, and she or he’s proven right here how that dedication has paid off. I’m delighted, too, she was capable of win World gold in Liverpool, along with her household and associates within the enviornment. I do know that meant a lot to her.
Patsy has had been on an unbelievable journey on this match. He’s solely 19 and that is his first grownup Elite competitors. To take down three veteran campaigners – Olympians, world and European medalists – is astounding. He has an unbelievable profession forward of him. Our process now could be to proceed to help, information and develop him. And Grainne? What can I say. I feel everybody has had a glimpse of her expertise, her drive and her humility during the last 10 days. She’s an excellent expertise and, as she has stated herself, she’s introduced herself on the World stage, and that is the place she belongs.
“It’s 10 years since Staff Eire introduced house three medals from a World Championships – 2015, 10 years in the past in Doha when Michael Conlan received the gold. It’s 8 years since we received a Males’s World medal, and that went to Patsy’s cousin, Rio Olympian Joe Ward. We completed joint fifth within the medal desk out of 66 federations, equaling Cuba and forward of powerhouses like Ukraine, the USA and Azerbaijan. That’s the place we have to be – we’ve laid down a marker among the many historically dominant nations, however we will surpass that.
“Whereas there are quite a lot of positives to take from this match which bode nicely for 2026 and additional in to our LA cycle, we nonetheless have some work to do. Not one among our boxers seemed misplaced within the ring, however we have to make investments extra time and sources in to competitors. We’ve had an uncommon yr, with a low stage of aggressive motion. That’s partly right down to our becoming a member of of World Boxing in Quarter Two. WB’s calendar for 2026 is out within the subsequent couple of weeks. That may permit us to plan to compete at as many World Boxing Cups as attainable and to create individualized coaching and competitors plans for every boxer. The coaching on the high-performance unit is excellent, its world class, however you possibly can by no means simulate actual world competitors environments with out truly being at them”
Excessive Efficiency Head Coach, Zauri Antia, says “Aoife boxed superbly; she managed the house all through and boxed at distance. She saved the strain on her opponent in each spherical. She is great athlete. I’m pleased with her and for her. My congratulations to Aoife, and her household and her membership, Castlerea BC. There was glorious studying and improvement on this match for the complete group. It’s an honour and a privilege to symbolize your nation, and I wish to congratulate all Staff Eire boxers on this championship, and their golf equipment and households. The help of golf equipment and households is invaluable”
Medal StandingsIreland will end the match in a gaggle of countries fifth on the medals desk. Uzbekistan is prime, with 11 medals, adopted by Kazakhstan with 10. China and England each have 5 medals – Brazil and India have 4. Cuba, Eire, Australia, Japan, Poland and Turkey all have 3.
In all, 66 nations and 540 boxers are contesting this match, the primary through which women and men collectively vie for World titles. 35 nations haven’t secured medals.
Staff Ireland51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow. Daina is from Bray, Co. Wicklow.
54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Membership, Dublin. Jenny is from Ashbourne, Co. Meath
57kg Michaela Walsh of Holy Household Golden Gloves BC Belfast.
60kg Zara Breslin of Tramore BC, Waterford.
65kg Grainne Walsh of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin. Grainne is from Tullamore, Co. Offaly
70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon. Staff Co-Captain
50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast
55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath
60kg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway. Staff Co-Captain
65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim. Dean is from Co. Sligo
70kg Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Glove BC Co. Donegal
75kg Gavin Rafferty of Dublin Docklands Boxing Membership
80kg Kelyn Cassidy of Saviours Crystal BC, Co. Waterford
85kg Brian Kennedy of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry Co. Offaly
90kg Jack Marley of Monkstown BC, Dublin
90+kg Martin McDonagh of Galway BC
Help Employees
Staff Supervisor: Jon Mackey, Nationwide Efficiency DirectorHead Coach: Zauri AntiaCoaches: Damain Kennedy, Lynne McEnery, Eoin Pluck, James Doyle and JP DelaneyDoctor: Jim CloverLead Physio: Rob TuomeyPerformance Analyst: Alan SwantonLogistics Help: Sean Crowley, Excessive Efficiency ManagerPost navi
