Olympian Walsh one win from Paris as Irish trio advance

Aidan Walsh, Grainne Walsh and Martin McDonagh all took further steps towards Paris 2024 as they won their bouts at the final Olympic boxing qualifying tournament in Bangkok.

Belfast boxer Aidan Walsh, a bronze medallist at Tokyo 2020, is now one win away from securing his spot after beating Yuri Zakharieiev of the Ukraine 4-1 in the last 16, his third victory in four days.

Five boxers will qualify from Walsh’s 71kg category so even if he was to lose to his Jordanian opponent Zeyad Eashash on Friday, there would still be a box-off between the four beaten quarter-finalists.

Walsh only returned from a 14-month absence from the sport at March’s first qualifying tournament, where he was beaten in the last 32.

He won bronze at the Olympics three years ago but had to give a walkover in the semi-final after he fractured his ankle celebrating his last-eight win.

Welterweight Grainne Walsh (66kg) also won again, a comfortable 5-0 triumph over North Korea’s Hyo Sun Hwang, to reach the last 16.

The Tullamore fighter, who lost a controversial decision at the previous Olympic qualifier in March, must reach the semi-finals to make it to Paris and next takes on the representative of Ivory Coast or Tajikistan.

Former world champion Amy Broadhurst, who switched to representing the UK after Walsh was selected ahead of her for this tournament, is closing in on qualifying for Kellie Harrington’s 60kg category after a win over Terri Smith of Canada in the last 16, but there are only three places so she’ll need to win a semi-final to be sure.

Tuam super-heavyweight (92+ kg) Martin McDonagh stopped Doan Minh Hieu Ngoc in the second round of their last-32 contest, after the Vietnamese boxer had been given three standing counts.

He continues his bid to make the semi-finals, against Bulgarian or Turkish opposition, in the last 16 on Thursday, when Kelyn Cassidy and Sean Mari will also be in action and live streaming begins on the Olympics website.

Daina Moorehouse (50kg) and Jennifer Lehane (54kg) are also still in contention to join the Irish boxers already guaranteed their places at the Olympics: Michaela Walsh (57kg), Kellie Harrington (60kg), Aoife O’Rourke (75kg), Jude Gallagher (57kg), Dean Clancy (63.5kg) and Jack Marley (92kg).