Gold for Aoife O'Rourke at the World Boxing Championships

It was a dominant displace from the Castlerea native and won by unanimous decision.

GOLD: Aoife O'Rourke has won gold at the World Boxing Championship in Liverpool defeating Turkey's Busra Isildar in the Women's 75kg final. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Aoife O’Rourke has won World Boxing Championship gold, following a highly physical final against Turkey’s Busra Isildar in the Women's 75kg final.

Judges scored the bout 28:29, 27: 30, 27:30, 27: 30, 28: 29. She fought her way to the final with victories over Czech Republic’s Monika Langerova, fellow Olympian, Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad and 2023 Word Champ China’s Chengyu Wang. Aoife will receive her medal later this afternoon.

O'Rourke from Castlerea, is a double Olympian and four time continental champion. This is her second World medal this year having claimed silver at the IBA Women’s Worlds in March. 

The Roscommon woman is among one of the few boxers to have won World gold and silver in the same year. She and her sister, Lisa, a World champ in 2022, are now among a select group of sibling World champions. Both are members of Castlerea BC.

High Performance Director and Team Ireland World Boxing Championships Team Manager Jon Mackey was speaking after the bout on O'Rourke gold win. 

“World Gold – what a title to add to Aoife’s lengthy catalogue of achievements. Double Olympian. Four-time continental champ. World silver medalist and now World champ. She is a class above. 

"She’s had four massive battles and has showed her mettle, her technical skill and her physicality in each of them. She’s done herself, Team Ireland, and her family proud. Aoife’s work ethic is remarkable, and she’s shown here how that dedication has paid off. 

"I’m delighted, too, she was able to win World gold in Liverpool, with her family and friends in the arena. I know that meant so much to her."

High Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia was delighted with how O'Rourke fought her way to the win. 

“Aoife boxed beautifully; she controlled the space throughout and boxed at distance. She kept the pressure on her opponent in every round. She is superb athlete. I am proud of her and for her. My congratulations to Aoife, and her family and her club, Castlerea BC.

"There has been excellent learning and development in this tournament for the entire team. It’s an honour and a privilege to represent your country, and I want to congratulate all Team Ireland boxers in this championship, and their clubs and families. The support of clubs and families is invaluable”

Patsy Joyce and Grainne Walsh are also being awarded their bronze medals today.

19-year-old Joyce, contesting at 55kg, had an incredible World Boxing Championships journey, with three wins. The first, 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 Patsy’s opponents are more than a decade his senior. He lost his semi-final, against 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 resounding Last 32 stage win over Jessica Triebelova of Slovakia, where she was dominant, coming away with a 5-0 win. She boxed a masterful contest at the Last 16 stage against Mariana Soto Torres of Spain, and a second unanimous decision. The Offaly woman claimed her bronze medal by defeating the Paris Olympics silver medalist China’s Yang Liu 3-2. She contested her semi-final on Friday against Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeyeva. This was a high-tempo, close quarters bout and the 5-0 decision went to Abikeyeva. Judges scored the bout: 28:29, 28:29, 28:29, 28:29, 27: 30.

These championships are the first since 2015 in which Ireland has won 3 world medals at a single tournament. Joyce is also the first male boxer to medal at world level since his cousin, Rio Olympian Joe Ward, won silver in Hamburg in 2017.