Lisa O’Rourke and Aoife O’Rourke will come house from the 2025 Ladies’s World Championship with a silver medal apiece.
These two extraordinary girls made historical past by changing into the primary sisters to contest Ladies’s World Championship finals on the identical day however upgrading to gold proved a step too far.
The 2022 World champion, Lisa O’Rourke boxed out of the blue nook when she took on Elena Gapeshina on finals day. The-27-year-old Russian, a 2024 European silver medalist, with one professional victory to her identify managed to have her hand raised after a spirited and extremely bodily bout.
Talking immediately after O’Rourke mentioned “She was a troublesome operator – canny, and fast. The assist from house was crucial all through this match, and it was superb to be with Aoife on the staff”
Double Olympian and 4 time continental champion Aoife O’Rourke was within the pink nook in her bout in opposition to Anastasiia Shamonova, additionally of Russia. The pair had met 4 instances earlier than and Shamonova managed to edge 3-2 forward within the rivialary with victory on Sunday evening.
The decider was a ferocious affair, fought predominantly in shut distance – neither boxer took a backward step. One or two eye-catching photographs for Shamonova sealed the choice. O’Rourke mentioned “We return a great distance and have fought one another many instances. She’s quick and stays in shut. It was a troublesome bout – however having Lisa with me made a giant distinction”
Excessive Efficiency Head Coach Zauri Antia says “Lisa and Aoife are extraordinary athletes in a rare staff. They each had wonderful tournaments with wins over Azerbaijan, Morocco and Kazakhstan & Uzkekistan and Serbia, respectively. Its vital that that is Aoife’s first match since Paris, and that Lisa final boxed on the European U23s. That is the primary yr within the Olympic cycle, and so it’s a growth yr. This has been an important match for us, and I wish to congratulate all members of the staff, their golf equipment, and households – particularly the O’Rourke household, and Paddy Sharkey of Castlerea BC.”
Two members of Workforce Eire have been contesting the primary benchmark occasions of their careers – 48kg Carleigh Irving misplaced to eventual quarter finalist, Tayonis Cedeno of Venezuela, whereas 81+kg Judy Bobbett misplaced to now 6 time Ladies’s World Championship medalist, Elif Guneri of Turkey, who was a semi-finalist on this iteration of the competitors. Whereas three members of the staff, 50kg Daina Moorehouse, 54kg Jenny Lehane and 66kg Grainne Walsh, have been boxing their first WWC.
Moorehouse misplaced to eventual silver medalist, eighth seed Hu Meiyi. Lehande misplaced to Natnicha Chongprongklang of Thailand, who was denied a finals berth on a break up determination and goes house with bronze. Grainne Walsh misplaced to eventual silver medalist, Khamidova Navbakhor of Uzbekistan. 57kg Michaela Walsh misplaced to eventual gold medalist, Serbia’s Andela Brankovic.
In all, 239 boxers from 51 federations contested this match; in 2023, the final iteration of those championships, 324 boxers from 64 federations competed.
IABA President, Anto Donnelly says “What an achievement by the O’Rourke sisters – and congratulations to each member of the staff. It’s an honour to be chosen to signify your nation, and your complete Ladies’s World Championship staff did so with satisfaction. I’d wish to echo Zauri in his congratulations to Oakleaf, Enniskerry, DCU Athletic, Holy Household GG, St. Mary’s Tallaght and Liberty. A really particular point out to Paddy Sharkey of Castlerea BC – what an evening for the membership, and for Roscommon. To have two boxers reaching silverat World degree is the stuff of desires – and its testomony to the standard of teaching from grass-roots to Excessive Efficiency degree”
Chair of IABA’s Board of Administrators, Niall O’Carroll “Aoife and Lisa are history-makers – the primary ever sisters to contest the identical World Championship finals. Their achievements and that of your complete WWC staff speaks to the energy of the relationships between golf equipment, Excessive Efficiency boxing technical coaching and focused sport science assist accessible by means of our partnership with Sport Eire and the Institute of Sport. Aoife has been a member of the HPU for six years, and Lisa, for 4. The size of their achievement on this time is staggering and it’s one thing of which they, and we, may be proud”
John Nangle, IABA Interim CEO “What a second that is, for Irish Boxing and for the O’Rourke household. After we field on the world stage, we obtain – an unimaginable feat for a federation of our measurement. On a per capita foundation, we’re among the many smallest consistently energetic federations, not solely in Europe, however on the planet. Pardoning the pun, we punch above our weight, persistently. Congratulations to the O’Rourke sisters, to the Excessive Efficiency Workforce and to Castlerea BC.”
Two members of Workforce Eire have been contesting the primary benchmark occasions of their careers – 48kg Carleigh Irving misplaced to eventual quarter finalist, Tayonis Cedeno of Venezuela, whereas 81+kg Judy Bobbett misplaced to now 6 time Ladies’s World Championship medalist, Elif Guneri of Turkey, who was a semi-finalist on this iteration of the competitors. Whereas three members of the staff, 50kg Daina Moorehouse, 54kg Jenny Lehane and 66kg Grainne Walsh, have been boxing their first WWC.
Daina misplaced to eventual silver medalist, eighth seed Hu Meiyi. Jenny misplaced to Natnicha Chongprongklang of Thailand, who was denied a finals berth on a break up determination and goes house with bronze. Grainne misplaced to eventual silver medalist, Khamidova Navbakhor of Uzbekistan. 57kg Michaela Walsh misplaced to eventual gold medalist, Serbia’s Andela Brankovic.
In all, 239 boxers from 51 federations contested this match; in 2023, the final iteration of those championships, 324 boxers from 64 federations competed.
