Offaly boxer claims bronze but suffers controversial defeat at EU Championships

Offaly boxer Grainne Walsh will bring home a bronze medal from the European Union Elite Boxing Championships in Cascia, Italy but it could have been more after she lost her semi-final by a split decision.

The Tullamore fighter was up against Germany’s Nadine Apetz in her welterweight (69kg) semi-final and despite forcing her opponent to take a standing count in the final round, the judges' split decision went to the German boxer. All accounts of the fight strongly suggest that the Offaly boxer was on the wrong end of a bad decision.

While she will be bitterly disappointed with the manner of the defeat, Grainne has won her first major boxing medal at international level by taking the bronze and there are sure to be more major honours in her future.

21-year old Grainne, who is from the Clara road in Tullamore, defeated European Elite Bronze medalist, Lauren Price, from Wales, in the quarter finals.

Grainne boxes for the Spartacus Boxing Club in Cloncollig and has enjoyed huge success in the five years since taking up the sport. Last year she represented Ireland at both the World and European Boxing Championships, bowing out at the quarter-final stages in both competitions.

Grainne is currently ranked 6th in the world boxing rankings and boxes at welterweight (69kg). Her weight was recently added to the list of Olympic weights for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020.