IT’S UPS & DOWNS ON THE NIGHT FOR IRISH
JUDE GALLAGHER powered his way into his first Olympic Games in the World qualifiers on a night of drama and controversy in Busto Arsizio.
Gallagher, who won by a unanimous decision over Ovezov of Turkmenistan, is the sixth Irish boxer to make it to Paris 2024.
His victory was a source of joy for the Ireland camp after the disappointment of Kelyn Cassidy missing out on a place in the Games by losing 3-2 to Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan, the 80kg world champion.
And it was some compensation for the heartbreak of Gráinne Walsh’s quarterfinal defeat when she seemed to have done enough to qualify.
IABA performance director Tricia Heberle claimed it was a “strangely judged contest, especially in the second round” after Walsh lost her 66kg bout to Poland’s Aneta Rygielska by a 3-2 split decision.
In that second round, Rygielska had a point docked for holding and was given a standing eight count.
Somehow three of the five judges still awarded the round to the Polish hopeful.
The final results saw the judges from Sri Lanka and Norway score the fight 29-27 for Walsh (inset) while the other three scored it 28-28.
Under the rules of the competition, the Italy, Morocco and Argentina judges had to nominate a winner – and all three went for Rygielska.
As for Gallagher, the 57kg quarterfinal result was never in doubt as he gave his rival standing counts in the first and second rounds.
“Absolutely amazing,” said Tyrone native Gallagher. “Words can’t describe what it feels like.
“Ever since I started boxing, started progressing in boxing, my goal was to box at the Olympic Games.
“It was always in sight but now that it has come true I can’t believe it.”
Gallagher said that the calibre of coaching he has received was the key to his success.
“Just sticking to the coaches’ game plan,” he said.
“Throughout this tournament my faith and trust in the coaches has just grown from the game plans they gave me and carrying them out in the ring.
“It’s sort of like a surprise to me, that this actually works, but it’s no surprise because they’re top-class coaches.
“Sticking to their game plan just got me over the line. Being patient was key, working on the outside of that southpaw got me over the line in the end.”