What a day it’s been for Lisa O’Rourke, Amy Broadhurst, for women’s boxing, and for Ireland.
Before yesterday evening, Ireland boasted three previous Amateur World Champions; Katie Taylor, Michael Conlan, and Kellie Harrington.
Not exactly a bad list, but in the space of roughly 30 minutes yesterday, in Istanbul, two more names were added to that honour roll, as Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’Rourke won their finals to pick up gold.
Broadhurst has been on the Irish circuit for a while, and has had to suffer some heartache at recent tournaments, but her potential, work ethic and talent was clear to see, and it was always just a matter of ‘when,’ rather than ‘if’ she would succeed.
Unfortunate to be in the same weight bracket as Kellie Harrington, Olympic Gold medalist in Tokyo, Broadhurst has had to move weight categories to get her shot in the spotlight, and now it’s all paying off.
The silky southpaw was dominant in her bout, even more impressive considering the fact she was giving away quite a lot in terms of height difference.
Lisa O’Rourke was next in he ring for the 70kg weight category, and at just 20 years old, this girl has a future brighter than the shiny medal she just picked up.
Also a southpaw, O’Rourke was in a cagey, tight contest, but was undoubtedly the winner, and the possibilities are endless for this young star.
Shortly after her win, she received a phone call from her hero, and the hero of pretty much all boxing enthusiasts in Ireland, Katie Taylor.
@KevByrneBox @J0E_90 @mjon3105 @SeanMcGoldrick1 @LoiWomen @Hanelizaa The great @@KatieTaylor congratulating Lisa O’Rourke after her world Championships win tonight. Class Katie as usual 🥊🇮🇪🥊🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/q3Ia8Ud1Dq
— Liam Morley Brereton (@bluealgero) May 19, 2022
The sharp shooting boxer was beaming from ear to ear, as this already incredible day was topped off by being congratulated by the woman who has paved the way for female boxers.
Ireland has never had such a stable of talent primed and ready to be unleashed, so there is plenty of reason to be excited.
