Lisa O’Rourke provided the headline Irish victory on day four of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, the 23-year-old coming through a one-sided 70kg bout to book her place in the quarter-finals.
The Roscommon boxer showed too much strength and power for Shirleidis Orozco Martinez, O’Rourke’s taking a 5-0 victory which included a point deduction for the Colombian and a third-round standing count.
Already a World Champion from 2022, O’Rourke will next box for a medal in Tuesday’s evening session against top-seed Lekeisha Pergoliti of Australia.
Dean Clancy opened his 65kg challenge against Turkmenistan’s Ihlasbek Kochkarov. The Sligoman, who had a bye from the opening round, took full advantage to earn a unanimous victory.
Faster and smarter throughout the three rounds, Clancy was hardly troubled by the inexperienced Kochkarov, all five judges giving their decision to the Irish boxer. The 23-year-old will fight Georgia’s Lasha Guruli in the last-16 round in Tuesday’s evening session.
Patsy Joyce also won his opening bout in the 55kg category against Jaeyong Shin of Korea with a unanimous decision. Both boxers faced points deduction but Joyce kept his cool to set up his next bout against Bulgaria’s Javier Diaz Ibanez, the Olympic bronze medallist in Paris.
It wasn’t to be for Michaela Walsh as the double Olympian lost her 57kg last-16 contest against Shih-Yin Wu of Chinese Taipei, 4-1.
On Saturday, Aoife O’Rourke ensured she will box for a medal in the 75kg category next week after a unanimous decision in her last-16 fight against the Czech Republic’s Monika Langerova.
The elder O’Rourke sister will meet Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad in the quarter-finals in Wednesday’s evening session.
Saturday also saw defeats for Daina Moorehouse (51kg), Matthew McCole (70kg) and Zara Breslin (60kg).