Egan 'over the moon' with medal-winning victory

Irish captain Ken Egan joined compatriot Paddy Barnes on the winners' podium at the Beijing Olympics after he outclassed Brazilian light heavyweight Washington Silva (8-0) over four rounds today.

Egan said: "I've been training all my life for this and it is a fantastic feeling. The pressure is off now and I have a medal in the bag and I'm just looking forward to Friday's semi final.

"The support was amazing in here today. I thought I was in Lansdowne Road at one stage - I'm absolutely thrilled, over the moon."

Today's double win ensures that Egan and Barnes will be bringing home at least two bronze medals - taking Ireland's Olympic medal haul at boxing since the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki to 11.

The double win bring Ireland its first medals at these Olympics and are also Ireland's first medal wins in the lightest and third last heaviest weight categories in amateur boxing.

Egan, who has won eight senior titles in a row, took the first round 3-0, but failed to register a point against the ultra defensive Brazilian in the second.

However, the Dubliner opened up with a vengeance in the third, landing a series of combinations to the head and body to stretch his lead to 7-0 at the bell.

Silva needed nothing less than a knockout in the fourth and final frame - but it was Egan who registered the only score of the round, connecting with a neat right in the final few seconds to seal an impressive victory.

The 26-year-old Irish skipper has scored 38 points in three bouts at these Games and has conceded just four.

The Neilstown Dublin clubman will now meet Great Britain's Tony Jeffries in the semi finals next Friday in a repeat of last Junes European Union 81kg final in Poland.

Egan won that fight after the English man retired in round three - Egan was 14-7 up when the bout was halted.

Earlier today, Paddy Barnes wrote himself into the history books after claiming at least a bronze medal after out-pointing Polish light flyweight Lukasz Maszczyk at the Workers Indoor Arena in Beijing today.

The Holy Family Belfast man produced a performance oozing with aggression and class to beat Maszczyk 11-5 in the Chinese capitol.

He will now meet Shiming Zou in the semi finals on Friday after the reigning World champion beat Birzhan Zhakypov from Kazakhstan 9-4 in the corresponding quarter final.

Barnes restored parity twice in the first round of today's contest, levelling twice with stiff rights to leave the bout locked at 2-2 at the bell before taking the second round 7-5 after leading 7-3 at one stage following some furious exchanges mid way through the round.

Maszczyk knew he had to produce something big in the third - his tactics of dancing around with his hands down were clearly not working as Barnes was stepping right into the danger zone to pick off his shots - but once again it was the Belfast man who took the frame, leading 9-5 going into the final two minutes.

The Pole upped the tempo in the fourth, but Barnes responded in magnificent fashion, adding another two points to his total to claim Ireland's tenth medal in the boxing ring since another Belfast man, bantamweight John McNally, won silver at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki.

It was a stunning performance from the 21 year old, who is the fifth boxer from the Holy Family club in Belfast to compete at the Olympic Games.

Barnes said: "I knew if I put him under pressure that I would win. I'm always a slow starter but when I upped the tempo in the second round I could see he was cracking, but in fairness he did come back.

"He beat me in the past but I was only a novice then."

He's not a novice anymore - but World Champion Shiming Zou awaits in Fridays semi final. Zou beat Barnes (22-8) in the quarter finals of the World Championships at the University of Illinois last October.

However, the Belfast man can't wait to renew his rivalry with the Chinese light fly - and these Olympics are proving to be a graveyard for reigning World champions with Zou, and Italians heavyweight and super heavyweight Clemente Russo and Roberto Cammarelle the only World champions left standing after a week of shock results in Beijing.

"I want the gold medal. Zou beat meet a few months ago but my confidence is sky high after this win and I can't wait to get in the ring, " he added.

Middleweight Darren Sutherland, of the St Saviours club in Dublin, will be hoping to make it a hat-trick

for Ireland when he meets Alfonso Blanco from Venezuela in tomorrows semi final.

The boxing event at the 29th Olympiad will conclude with five finals next Saturday and six finals on

Sunday.