Light flyweight Paddy Barnes booked his ticket for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing with an emphatic win over Japans Kenji Ohkubo at the 2007 AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers at the University of Illinois in Chicago last night.
But Eric Donovan and Irish captain Ken Egan are out following last 16 reversals in the Windy City.
Twenty year old Barnes, from the Holy Family club in Belfast, was superb, taking the first three rounds en route to chalking up a commanding 24-6 win over Ohkubo.
The 20 year old Ulsterman will now meet World and Asian 48Kg champion Shiming Zou from China in the quarter finals today, just one fight away from claiming at least a bronze medal.
In his three fights en route to qualifying for the Beijing 2008 Games, Barnes racked up eighty seven points and conceded just thirty five.
He now becomes the third Irishman this century to qualify for the Olympics following in the footsteps of Andy Lee
in 2004 and Michael Roche in 2000.
Commentating on his win, Gary Keegan, who directs the Irish Amateur Boxing Associations High Performance Unit,
was full of praise for Barnes.
He said: "Paddy has been our best performer at these Championships one hundred per cent.We are absolutely delighted with this win. His margin of victory, not only tonight, but over his three fights speaks for itself. He has been simply magnificent."
Eric Donovan was in against lightweight Dominico Valentino with a place in next years Olympics up for grabs.
But it was the Italian, who took a public warning for holding in the fourth round, who emerged victorious after being handed a convincing 29-12 verdict.
Irish captain Ken Egan was also within one fight of securing his place in the 2008 Olympics. Egan faced Croatian Marijo Sivolija in a light heavyweight clash which was won and lost in the fourth and final round.
Sivolija edged the first 2-1, but Egan restored parity the leave the scoring at 4-4 at the end of the second but Sivolija
nudged back in front (9-8) at the bell for the conclusion of the third.
Both men went into the final round with Olympic qualification in the balance and only one separated by one point.
But it was the Croatian who took the initiative, adding on eight points to claim a 17-9 victory and a place in next
years Olympic Games.
There will be two further final qualifying tournaments for European boxers in Italy (Pascara) and Greece (Athens) in February and April next year.
For news, live scores,draws, rankings, and results log onto www.iaba.ie www.aiba.org http://www.worldboxingchicago.org/
Irish 2007 World Championships and Olympic Qualifying Tournament Draw (Last 16) University of Illinois Chicago
(Chicago time zone-5 hours Irish time)
Evening session starts (7pm)
November 1st Draw Quarter Finals
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) v Shiming Zou (China) (Evening session)
October 31st Results
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Kenji Ohkubo (Japan) 24-6
60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) lost to Dominico Valentino 12-29
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) lost to Marijo Sivolija (Croatia) 9-17
Results October 30th
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (Ireland) lost to Alfonso Blanco (Venezuela) 13-20
91Kg: John Sweeney (Ireland) lost to Rakhim Chakhkiev (Russia) 5-28
Results October 28th
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Sadegh Zade Faraj (Iran) RSCO3 (30-10)
60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Jonathan Batisa (Dominican Republic) 21-4
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (Ireland) lost to Rusian Khairov (Azerbaijan) 3-20
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) beat Julio Torres Castillo (Ecuador) 16-10
Results October 27th
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (Ireland) beat Andranik Hakobyan (Armenia) 22-20
91+Kg: Cathal McMonagle (Ireland) lost to Islam Timurziev (Russia) RET1
Results October 26th
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) lost to McJoe Arroyo (Puerto Rico) RSCO3 (7-27)
91Kg: John Sweeney (Ireland) beat Branco Srdic (Serbia) RSC4 (18-14)
Results October 25th
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Choi Jon Chuk (Peoples Republic of Korea) 33-19
51Kg: Conor Ahern (Ireland) lost to Bato-Munko Vankeyeu 15-28
60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Mikios Varga (Hungary) 39-22
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (Ireland) beat Sang In Han (Korea) 22-7
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) beat Julius Jackson (Virgin Islands) RSCO2 (21-1)
Results October 24th
57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) lost to Davi Souza (Brazil) 10-21
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (Ireland) beat Roy Albert Cook (Dominica) W/O
Results October 23rd
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) lost to Gyula Kate (Hungary) 17-32.
Irish 2007 AIBA World Championships Squad by Club
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family GG, Belfast)
51Kg: Conor Ahern (Baldoyle, Dublin)
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata, Belfast)
57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
60Kg: Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (St Saviours OBA, Dublin)
81Kg: Ken Egan (Neilstown, Dublin)
91Kg: John Sweeney (Dungloe, Donegal)
91+Kg: Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity, Belfast)
Irish 2007 AIBA World Championships Management
Performance Director: Gary Keegan
Coaches: Billy Walsh,Zuar Antia, Jim Moore
Team Manager: Jim Walsh
Physio: Scott Murphy
Performance Analysis: Alan Swanton
Strength and Conditioning: John Cleary
R&J: Eugene O'Kane.
Bernard O'Neill
Public Relations Officer
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Ph: 086 057 9558
Fax: 061 408627
bernard.oneill@oceanfree.net
www.iaba.ie