Photos: ACTION IMAGES
42 lBOXING NEWSlJULY 4, 2019 http://www.boxingnewsonline.netMilan Fodor on a split decision and then
in the quarter-final took a split points win
over Ukraine’s Yaroslav Khartsyz.
At 60kgs the McCormacks’ Birtley
club-mate Calum French lost a split
decision when he boxed Armenia’s
Karen Tonakanyan, after previously
outpointing Italy’s Francesco Maietta
also on a split.
Georgia’s Sakhil
Alakhverdovi eliminated
Scottish light-flyweight
Aqeel Ahmed on a
split decision. But Irish
49kgs Regan Daly beat
Spain’s Martin Molina
Salvador on a split
decision in their quarter-
final. Daly had to settle for
bronze when the eventual
champion, Armenia’s Artur
Hovhannisyan, overcame him on a split
decision in their semi-final.
Ireland’s James McGivern lost a
unanimous decision to Armenia’s 64kgs
Hovhannes Bachkov. His team-mate
Michael Nevin beat Turkey’s Serhat
Guler on a split decision to reach the
75kgs semi-final. But Italy’s SalvatoreCavallaro halted him in the first round.
Grainne Walsh also made sure of
a medal at 69kgs when she defeated
Finland’s Elina Gustafsson on a
unanimous decision. She took home a
bronze medal after losing a split decision
to Poland’s Karolina Koszewska.
World champion Kellie Harrington
came through the 60kgs quarter-
finals with a split decision over
Italy’s Irma Testa at 60kgs.
She took another good
win in the semi-final
when she beat Sweden’s
Agnes Alexiusson on a
unanimous decision. But
she was unable to contest
the final due to a hand
injury.
At 57kgs Michaela
Walsh did box in her final. She’d
beaten Germany’s Ornella Wahner on
a split decision in the last eight and then
defeated Russia’s Daria Abramova on
another split. But Bulgaria’s experienced
Stanimira Petrova beat Walsh on a
split decision in the final. “I am absolutely
heartbroken,” Walsh reflected, “but I feel
I have announced myself at this weight.” bn➤ Smiahlikau on a split decision.
Britain’s Galal Yafai had a strong
showing at 52kgs, even if he was held
to a bronze medal. Yafai, the brother
of professional world champion Kal,
unanimously outscored Ukraine’s
Dmytro Zamotayev in the quarter-
finals, although Bulgaria’s Daniel
Asenov received a split decision against
him at the semi-final stage. GB’s 56kgs
Peter McGrail also reached the final
four, beating Albania’s Krenar Zeneli on
a unanimous decision. But he lost a split
decision to Irish rival Kurt Walker.
Walker, who had taken a good
unanimous win over France’s Samuel
Kistohurry in the quarter-finals, would
go on to win gold. He unanimously
outpointed Ukraine’s tough Mykola
Butsenko in the final. “I actually can’t
describe how good I feel. The game plan,
everything was perfect,” Kurt said. “It’s the
best moment in my life.”
Pat’s twin brother Luke McCormack
was also limited to a bronze medal. In
the 64kgs semi-final he lost a unanimous
decision to France’s Sofiane Oumiha, an
Olympic silver medallist. In a preliminary
bout Luke had outscored Hungary’sGOLD & SILVER:
Walker [above]
wins the
championships,
while Walsh
[centre] and
Whittaker [right]
take home silver
SPEED THRILLS:
Pat McCormack
[left] looks
for openings
in the finalTOP TABLE
REMARKABLY, Great Britain
topped the boxing medal
table at the European Games
in Minsk with a total of seven:
two gold, one silver and
four bronze.AMATEURS