Boxing: Walsh siblings closing on special Olympic double

Sister and brother Michaela and Aidan Walsh are now just one step away from both qualifying for the Olympics as Ireland’s boxers went five from five on the first day of action in the European qualifiers

Ireland’s Michaela Walsh about to throw a right during the Women’s Featherweight (57kg) clash with France’s Mona Mestiaen in Le Grand Dome, Villebon-sur-Yvette, Paris. Picture: Dave Winter

Sister and brother Michaela and Aidan Walsh are now just one step away from both qualifying for the Olympics as Ireland’s boxers went five from five on the first day of action as the European qualifiers restarted in Paris.

The Walshs, Kellie Harrington, Aoife O’Rourke, and Emmet Brennan were all successful at the tournament, which had been suspended after three days in London in March last year due to the Covid pandemic.

Michaela Walsh won her featherweight bout against Mona Mestiaen, of France, in the evening claiming a 4-1 split decision and making it a family double after younger brother Aidan beat another French boxer, Wahid Hambli, also on a 4-1 split in his welterweight contest in the afternoon session.

“My idol is my brother, we are both one match away from qualifying for the Olympics,” Michaela said.

“We have trained with each other our whole lives. Even though he is younger he is someone I really look up to, someone I aspire to be like.

It’s an amazing feeling to share this feeling and this journey with him, he’s my best friend.

“It’s been a long time coming since it was cancelled last year, and that is a long time to look at your opponent, you can get caught up in it. But I was able to train for that style, and I am blessed and grateful to come away with the win.”

Brennan walked down Uke Smajli, of Switzerland, for two rounds before withstanding a final round fightback to reach the light-heavyweight quarter-finals, via a unanimous decision.

“We have been studying him, at the start I studied him a lot,” Brennan said. “I’m just ready to go get what I want now.”

Brennan’s chance to qualify comes this evening, when he takes on Luca Plantic, of Croatia, who won in a round.

It is the big day as well as middleweight O’Rourke — who was impressive in beating Viktoryia Kebikava, of Belarus, even though it was a 4-1 split decision — and Harrington, who reached the lightweight quarter-finals with a comfortable win over Aneta Rygielska, of Poland.

Harrington, the 2018 world champion and No 2 seed, had beaten Rygielska twice in the past 18 months, and she never seemed out of her comfort zone, as she picked Rygielska off without having to really push herself to win a unanimous decision.

Next up she will face France’s Maiva Hamadouche, the reigning IBF super-featherweight champion, who restored some pride for the professionals on a day that Christina Hammer, the longtime former world middleweight champion was beaten, as she won a thrilling encounter with Marija Malenica, of Croatia.

George Bates will also book a place in Tokyo if he beats Javid Chalabiyev, of Azerbaijan, today.

For both Walshs, their big chance will come on Sunday.

Also in action this afternoon are Afanasev Kirill, the heavyweight, and Gytis Lisinskas, the super-heavyweight.

Both must win twice to ensure of their place in Japan.