Michaela Walsh
Boxing
BIOGRAPHY
Michaela Walsh represented Ireland in the women’s 57kg featherweight boxing event at two Olympic Games, making the round of 16 at both Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
At Tokyo she lost a close fight to Italy’s Irma Testa; at Paris she was beaten on a unanimous 5-0 decision by Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva. Walsh grew up in west Belfast and boxes at Emerald Boxing Club. Her father Damien was a boxer and introduced both Michaela and her younger brother Aidan to the sport before they had reached their teens. She first represented Ireland internationally aged 15, winning silver at the inaugural European Women’s Junior Boxing Championships. She went on to win silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the flyweight division and silver again at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in featherweight, before claiming gold at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. She holds a record 11 Irish Elite titles.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she and Aidan made history as the first brother and sister to compete in Olympic boxing at the same Games. Aidan won a bronze medal at those Games.
OTHER BOXING ATHLETES
BOXING NEWS
EVENTS COMING UP IN AUGUST
Athletics World U20 Championships, Eugene, Oregon: 5-9 August European Athletics Championships, Birmingham: 10-16 August Lausanne Diamond League: 20-21 August Silesia Diamond League: 23 August Zurich Diamond League: 27 August Boxing European U19 Championships, Loznica, Serbia: 11-22 August Boxing Ireland U23 Championships, 7-22 August Cycling UEC Mountain Bike European Championships, Monteceneri, Switzerland: 30 July [...]
Performance Round Up – June 2026
Athletics Mark English finished second in a high-quality men’s 800m field at the Rome Diamond League. The Donegal athlete clocked a season’s best time of 1:43.80, his second fastest ever over the distance, as he closed strongly in the final metres to challenge for victory. Sarah Healy delivered a personal best time of 14:48.88 in [...]
SCHOOL’S OUT – DARE TO BELIEVE WRAPS A STANDOUT YEAR
The Olympic Federation of Ireland is celebrating a standout year for its Dare to Believe schools programme, proudly sponsored by Allianz and supported by Olympic Solidarity, which once again brought the Olympic Movement to the classroom, with values and learnings that cover resilience, respect and courage. As schools break for the summer, the programme is [...]
In The News – 22nd June 2026
Ireland Hockey, Athletics, Basketball and Boxing Update: Positive Progress Across the Board Hockey Ireland Women Secure Crucial Pro League Win The Ireland Women’s Hockey Team produced an impressive display to defeat Spain with a 3-1 win and strengthen their position in the FIH Hockey Pro League, building on their 1-1 draw against the same opposition [...]
In The News – June 15 2026
Boxing Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington secured her first international gold medal since her Paris 2024 success, leading a strong Team Ireland performance at the opening phase of the Four Nations tournament in Glasgow. Harrington delivered an assured performance in the women’s 60kg elite final, defeating England’s Ella Lonsdale, as Ireland amassed an impressive 33 [...]
OFI Updates – June 2026
BADMINTON IRELAND SETS OUT PATHWAYS FOR DAKAR 2026, EUROPEAN GAMES 2027 & LA28 OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION To support athletes and coaches in planning for this cycle, Badminton Ireland, in partnership with the Olympic Federation of Ireland, has published its nomination policies for Dakar 2026, the European Games 2027, and LA28. Publishing these policies early provides clarity [...]