Sucker punch for Christina
INDOMITABLE Gaeltacht Mhúscraí boxer Christina Desmond is now setting her sights on qualifying for the Paris Olympics in three years time after her last hope of qualification for this year’s games in Tokyo was dashed this week.
The Cill na Martra fighter learned on Monday that there would not be qualifying competition for the Games this year, as had been originally scheduled, so she’s not able to compete for a coveted place in Ireland’s Olympic team.
“I’m disappointed but what can I do, “Christina said during an interview on RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta’s Saol Ó Dheas show on Wednesday.
Christina, who’s stationed as a Garda in Dungarvan, had pinned her hopes on getting a good result at these pre Games qualifiers as she had narrowly missed out on other opportunities last year.
“I can’t qualify for the 2021 Olympics now so maybe I will set my sights on 2024, I’m only 24 years of age so I’m young enough.”
Christina fought in the European Championships in London last March but her round of 16 defeat to third seed Italian Angela Carini saw her bow out of the competition just as the Covid-19 pandemic was surging around the world. The last days of that tournament were cancelled due to the pandemic and, while she couldn’t have known at the time, that was to be her last opportunity to qualify following this week’s cancellation of a qualifying tournament due to have been held in May or June.
The Irish Welterweight champion was stoic in her acceptance of the decision. “There will now only be four welterweight fighters from Europe to participate in the Tokyo Games.
“There’s a pandemic going on and they have to cut back on the number of participants.”
Christina, who is ranked No. 8 in the world in her weight division, had been training intensely for the qualifying tournament which was to have been held in Paris. “I work four days a week and the other days I was training in Dublin.
“It was very difficult for a number of months but now that it’s all cancelled I can take a few weeks off before I go back training again.
“I was ready for Tokyo – it’s very difficult to take in that the qualifying tournament is cancelled.
“A couple of years have been cancelled really as I was training and not going out - but that’s all over now.
“I was very close last year to qualifying so it’s hard to take,” she said.
“I will be 27/28 for the Olympics in 2024 and I can start working on that now.”
She’s also aiming to contest for World and European titles in the interim.