BOXING
Boxing has featured at all modern Olympic Games since St Louis 1904 and is Team Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport with 16 medallists.
Michael Carruth won Gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and exactly 20 years to the week later, Katie Taylor won Gold at the London 2012 Olympics. She was the first Irish woman to qualify and compete in an Olympic boxing event.
At Paris 2024, there will be 6 women and 4 men competing in their respective weight classes,
Fly (50kg)
Bantamweight (54kg)
Featherweight (57kg)
Light (60kg)
Welter (66kg)
Middle (75kg)
With men having a total of 8 events
Fly (48kg – 52kg)
Feather (52kg to 57kg)
Light (57kg to 63kg)
Welter (63kg to 69kg)
Middle (69kg to 75kg)
Light Heavy (75kg to 81kg)
Heavy (81kg to 91kg)
Super Heavy (91kg to +91kg)
At the Olympic Games boxers shall be seeded by a Seeding Commission, based on Boxers’ World Rankings and past performance.
An Olympic Boxing match for both men and women lasts three rounds, each of three minutes.The winners of the semi-finals in each weight category will contest for the gold medal, the losers of each semi-final will be awarded bronze medals.
Five judges sit at the side of the ring. They watch the bout and individually award points for what they deem quality blows on target, but also technique, tactics, competiveness and dominance. Fights can end by way of knockout or technical knockout as well. Referees may end a bout if they deem an opponent unfit to continue.
An Olympic Boxing match for both men and women lasts three rounds, each of three minutes. Five judges sit at the side of the ring. They watch the bout and individually award points for what they deem to be a successful hit.
The National Governing body for Boxing in Ireland is the IABA – Irish Athletic Boxing Association where you can find more information
Name | Weight | Year | Olympics | Medal |
John McNally | Bantamweight | 1952 | Helsinki | Silver |
Fred Tiedt | Welterweight | 1956 | Melbourne | Silver |
Tony Byrne | Lightweight | 1956 | Melbourne | Bronze |
Fred Gilroy | Bantamweight | 1956 | Melbourne | Bronze |
John Caldwell | Flyweight | 1956 | Melbourne | Bronze |
Jim McCourt | Lightweight | 1964 | Tokyo | Bronze |
Hugh Russell | Flyweight | 1980 | Moscow | Bronze |
Michael Carruth | Welterweight | 1992 | Barcelona | Gold |
Wayne McCullough | Bantamweight | 1992 | Barcelona | Silver |
Kenneth Egan | Light heavyweight | 2008 | Beijing | Silver. |
Darren Sutherland | Middleweight | 2008 | Beijing | Bronze. |
Paddy Barnes | Light flyweight | 2008 | Beijing | Bronze. |
John Joe Nevin | Bantamweight | 2012 | London | Silver |
Katie Taylor | Lightweight | 2012 | London | Gold |
Michael Conlan | Flyweight | 2012 | London | Bronze |
Paddy Barnes | Light flyweight | 2012 | London | Bronze |
Kellie Harrington | Lightweight | 2020 | Tokyo | Gold |
Aidan Walsh | Welterweight | 2020 | Tokyo | Bronze |
National Federation: Irish Athletic Boxing Association