Belfast’s Jon McConnell has secured a bronze medal minimum after a brilliant win over Gabriele Guidi Rontani of Italy in today’s 75kg bout at the European Elite Championships.
McConnell was proud of his discipline post fight, winning out 3-2 against an opponent who lost a point for use of the head, while he insisted Jude Gallagher’s earlier win was inspiring:
“I’m over the moon. Some fight, it was a close fight. He just wouldn’t stop, dirty enough with the head and stuff, but I just kept my composure that last round.
“(Jude’s win) It just gave me a lift. The way he came out that second round, I was looked at that and was like: ‘I’m gonna win today because of that.’
Azerbaijan’s Nabi Isgandarov will be his semi-final opponent on Wednesday.
Gallagher, meanwhile, is into a quarter-final after a powerful RSC stoppage win in the third round against France’s Lounes Hamraoi.
The Tyrone man is also out on Wednesday, taking on Cuban-born Spanish boxer, Ewart Andrés Marín Hernández.
“I went out and tried to box in the first round. He was a counterpuncher so he started to edge me a bit in the first round. I was a wee bit slow. Had to change the tactics second round, brought the fight to him”, he said post fight.
Elsewhere, Kellie McLoughlin was defeated 4-1 in a brave showing against French star Sthélyne Grosy, but Michaela Walsh is just a step away from securing another bronze medal at least.
The double Olympian won her 57kg bout 5-0, and takes on experienced Bulgarian fighter Stanimira Petrova next up, a woman she met in Tokyo qualifying in 2021.
Speaking post-fight, she stated her delight in getting through to the business end:
“I’ve been there and done it before, so I’m just so happy to get in there and perform the way I did.”