Lisa O'Rourke backing sister Aoife to match gold medal win
Lisa O'Rourke of Ireland celebrates with her gold medal following her victory over Anastasiia Demurchia of Russia in their Women's 80kg final at the European Boxing Elite Championships at Asics Arena, Sofia. Pic: Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile
Roscommon’s Lisa O’Rourke is backing older sister Aoife to match her gold-medal winning performance at the European Elite Boxing Championships in Sofia today.
The younger of the siblings claimed her crown on the back of a dominant display against Anastasiia Demurchian of Russia in their 80kg final at the Asics Arena in the Bulgarian capital.
The 24-year old took the honours on a 4-1 split decision but her command of the fight was total. How the Nepalese judge awarded rounds two and three to the Russian is beyond comprehension.
O’Rourke started every round with blows landed on her opponent and continued to catch her with a stiff left jab. Two of the judges called the fight 30-27 in her favour: a far more accurate tale of the tape.
Demurchian was a 2023 IBA world champion, a quality opponent, and O'Rourke saw off England’s 2025 World Championship silver medalist Emily Asquith and Ukraine’s Iryna Lutsak on the way to this final. No easy road.
Twice a European U22 champion, O’Rourke has a gold and a silver from previous World Championships but this is her first at the senior grade in the continental ranks.
It comes on her return from a spell out injured.
“I’m delighted. I didn’t know what way it was going to go when it’s your first tournament back and to get four wins from four, three on back-to-back days, it was tough and it was on you. I’ve never done that before, and at a new weight class.”
She has now emulated her older sister Aoife by claiming gold at this level.
Aoife, who is also a world champion, will look to win her fourth European title when she contests her own final against experienced Turkish fighter Busra Isildar, a multiple medallist at World and European levels “No better woman,” said her younger sister.
“I will be as nervous, probably worse than I was getting in. I think that’s always the way for us but, look, I’ll hopefully be celebrating twice as hard tomorrow, get back to the room and give her company and keep her settled, and I’m sure she’ll do the business.”
Earlier, Michaela Walsh has finished her championships with a bronze medal after falling shy of Hungary’s Kukhta Vladislava in their women’s 57kg semi-final in Bulgaria.
The Irish fighter found herself 3-2 down on the scoring cards after a cagey first round and fell further adrift in the second after as her Kazahkstan-born opponent continued to fight on the front foot and land more of the punches.
Walsh fared better in the third, winning it in four of the judges’ eyes but she needed a knockdown or a miracle at that point and ultimately came out second best on a 4-1 split decision.
“I’m obviously very disappointed. The fight was just going to go whatever way the first round went and the first round there was nothing in it, I was down 3-2. I was having a good second round and then I think I got caught a bit at the end of it. That’s why the judges…
“I think I had a brilliant, fantastic last round but, you know yourself, when you’re two rounds down you’re just going for broke. Happy enough with my performance. It was just very cagey. With the tactics I was trying to lead her on but she is obviously a real operator.”
A disappointing end but this latest podium place was earned with emphatic wins over Montenegro’s Bojana Gojkovic and triple Olympian, Stanimira Petrova, and it makes for a third podium in 2026 after the Commonwealth Games and the Strandja tournament.
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