Desmond will go all guns blazing in Madrid
Cork welterweight Christina Desmond reckons if she raises her game by 10% against Russian No 2 seed Darima Sandakova in Madrid today that she can become a two-time European Elite medallist.
The Macroom southpaw meets the Siberian orthodox over three rounds this afternoon with at least bronze up for grabs after posting a landslide win over Leonie Van Leeuwen of the Netherlands yesterday.
“I’ll have to up my performance. I’m going to go in with all guns blazing and if I put on another 10% to what I did today, I should be fine,” said Desmond.
Desmond, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Europeans at middleweight, forced van Leeuwen into a standing count off a combination in the third round on Tuesday.
The Dutch fighter was also staggered backwards from a right in the second frame but the ref ruled that Desmond, a garda by trade, was slapping with the inside of her glove. The final scores read 30-24, 30-24, 30-24, 30-25, 30-26 to reigning Irish 69kg Elite champion Desmond.
Meanwhile, Dundalk southpaw and current European U22 titlist Amy Broadhurst also faces a Russian opponent for at least bronze today. She’s in against 2014 World Elite champion Anastasia Belokova in the lightweight class.
Roscommon middleweight Aoife O’Rourke faces a third Russian in Friday’s semi-finals at the 31-nation tournament. She trades leather with Anastasia Shamonova. O’Rourke is guaranteed bronze in Spain by virtue of reaching the last four of the tournament. Head coach Zaur Antia and Damian Kennedy are working Ireland’s corner in Madrid.
