Boxing: 9th European Women’s Boxing Championships – by Michael O’Neill

The 9th Edition of the Women’s European Elite Championships got underway Saturday at the Polyvalenta Sports Hall in downtown Bucharest, Romania and few surprises from the first two days of the 2014 Championships which also serve as the only qualifier for the 2015 inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan where for the first time there will be FIVE
weights for women.

When the draw was held Saturday morning, it was confirmed that some 163 boxers, representing 31 European countries, are competing for the medals. Most interest centred on the 60kg lightweight division where two of those hoping to challenge Ireland’s Katie Taylor for her title were drawn against each other in the preliminaries with French titleholder Estelle Mossely having a clear cut win over England’s Chantelle Cameron 3:0.  The individual judges scorecards showed the Frenchwoman’s margin of victory as 40-36 39-37 39-37. A big disappointment for Chantelle and the English management.   

Also Saturday, Russia’s London 2012 Silver medallist, Sofya Ochigava had a very easy win over the 18 years old Dutch representative Maria Jassen also on a 3:0 judges scorecard and even more convincingly by 40:34 40:31 40:35 at 60kg.

In other key bouts on day one, at 51kg, Olympic Gold medallist Nicola Adams defeated the internationally inexperienced Moldovan, Iulia Coroli 3:0.

And so to Sunday in the Romanian capital and appearances from both Ochigava and Ireland’s Katie Taylor in the Lightweight division. Ochigava again had a clear cut win over the tough Finnish champion Mira Potkonen 3;0 whilst France’s Mossely overcame challenger Jelena Jelic from Serbia.

Taylor meantime had had a bye on Saturday and today came up against the Swiss champion Sandra Brugger whom she had defeated in the 2007 final in Denmark. The Irish woman was in fine form winning as convincingly as the 3:0 score suggests 40-36 40:34 40:36 with the Swiss woman doing well to recover fro m a standing count in the first round.

Speaking with the ‘ Irish Times’ later, the champion said she was relieved to have got the win under her belt adding:

““Yeah, it is actually great to get the first one down it’s always tough . “It’s the same for all the big competitions, to get those four rounds down so I’m delighted with the win.

“It’s just great to get it over with. There is no replacement for competition and there’s always a bit of nerves but I’m pleased to have come out with the win and I’m pleased with my performance.”

Next up for the Bray woman is the host nation’a Lavinia-Ioana Mera on Wednesday. There was a second Irish win on Sunday when Michaela Walsh from the Holy Family Golden Gloves Club in Belfast overcame the champion of Belarus, Helina Bruyevight again 3:0 (40:36 39:37 39:37) to force a second round clash with the more experienced Ivanna Krupenia from Ukraine.

In the 69kg championship ,Azerbaijan’s Elena Vystropova,one of the favourites for the tournament, reached the next round at the expense of Hungarian Eszter Olah. No surprise there either.

Tomorrow there are 28 bouts scheduled over two sessions including England’s Natasha Jonas against Anais Kistler of Switzerland whilst Ireland’s Clare Grace meets Turkish titleholder Gulazar Kara.

In the 69kg category the bout of the day should be that between Nouckka Fontijn of the Netherlands and Russia’s Yaroslava Yakushina . Another Russian Anastasia Belyakova takes on Germany’s Cindy Rogge at 64kg.

To sum up Sunday in Bucharest, it seems highly likely that come Saturday’s finals day we will again be seeing a repeat of the 2012 World and Olympic Finals between Russia’s Sofya Ochigava and Ireland’s Katie Taylor in their continuing battle for supremacy in the 60kg Lightweight division. A mouth watering ‘cat and mouse’ battle in prospect IF it comes to pass.

For the record the five weights in Baku 2015 will be those at :

Light Fly :48-51kg
Fly :51-54kg
Bantam :57-60kg
Light: 60-64kg
Light Welter: 69-75kg

You can find the full 2015 European Games – Boxing – Qualification System here:

http://www.eurolympic.org/images/baku-sports/Boxing.pdf

And finally herewith a link to the Romanian Boxing Federation’s coverage of the weekend’s events in the European Championships in Bucharest but beware – these links are best viewed on a fast broadband service and if you have a ‘no limit’ download facility.

https://www.youtube.com/user/FederatiaRomanaBox/feed