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 Tokyo 2020, women will compete for gold in five weight divisions,

Fly  (48kg to 51kg)

Feather (54kg to 57kg)

Light (57kg to 60kg)

Welter (64kg to 69kg)

Middle (69kg to 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

National Federation: Irish Athletic Boxing Association

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SELECTED ATHLETES

Aidan Walsh

Aidan WalshBOXING BIOGRAPHY Aidan won light welterweight gold at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games and silver (at welterweight) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He had won one bout before the Olympic Qualifier in March 2020 was cancelled but came back and won a bronze medal at the last qualifying tournament in June 2021. He lost [...]

Emmet Brennan

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Kellie Harrington

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Aoife O’Rourke

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Kurt Walker

Kurt WalkerBOXING BIOGRAPHY Kurt was a World and European Youth medallist in 2012 and 2013 respectively and won bronze at the 2017 European Championships. In 2018 he took silver at Commonwealth Games and gold at the EU Championships. In 2019 he won gold at the European Games, all at bantamweight (56kg). He had an exceptionally [...]

Brendan Irvine

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Michaela Walsh

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