01 July 2016 – Dublin, Ireland: The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association is today pleased to announce that European Games gold medallist Michael O’Reilly has been chosen to represent Team Ireland at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Michael O’Reilly, from County Tipperary, coached by Pat Ryan, becomes the eighth boxer competing for Team Ireland at Rio 2016, joining Paddy Barnes, Michael Conlan, Steven Donnelly, Brendan Irvine, David Oliver Joyce, Katie Taylor and Joe Ward.
Dermot Henihan, the Secretary General of the OCI, said:
“Congratulations to Michael and the coaches and performance staff at the Irish Athletic Boxing Association for their continued hard work, dedication and support for all athletes competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. It’s very exciting, this is Team Ireland’s largest ever boxing team at the Olympic Games since pre-qualifying was introduced before Barcelona 1992.”
Team Ireland hope to add another boxer when Ray Moylette, the light-welterweight from County Mayo, coached by Eddie Bolger and Martin Brennan, competes in the final Rio 2016 qualifier in Vargas, Venezuela. The weigh-in and draw will be held on Saturday 2 July with competition beginning on Sunday 3 July at 15:00 local time.
More formal selections will be finalised in the middle of part of July.
Today’s announcement brings the total number of selected athletes for Rio 2016 to 55 from 11 sports.
This is the sixth announcement of selected athletes:
Irish Athletic Boxing Association
Michael O’Reilly – Men’s Middleweight
ENDS
For more information:
Contact: Nick Dawes, Olympic Council of Ireland
Telephone: +447557435851
