Adam Nolan claimed a gold medal to compliment his ticket
for the 2012 Olympic Games at the (AIBA) European Olympic qualifying tournament
in Turkey.
The
Irish southpaw, a team-mate of World number one Katie Taylor at the Bray BC,
came from behind to edge out talented German welterweight Patrick Wojcicki on a
countback following a 14-14 tie in today's 69kg final in
Trabzon.
Wojcicki and Nolan both qualified for London 2012 by
virtue of reaching today's 69kg final as there were two Olympic places available
in the welterweight class in the north-eastern Turkish
city.
The
first round of today's encounter finished level at 3-3, Nolan, who works as a
Garda in Bray, establishing his timing behind his raking left, Wojcicki boxing
well on the inside.
The
German took a tactical second frame 6-5 to establish a 9-8 lead going in the
third.
However, Nolan, who has won four bouts in Trabzon this
week, stepped up a gear to take the final stanza 6-5 before having his hand
raised in triumph on accepted scores.
Head coach Billy Walsh, who has been working Ireland's
corner in Trabzon this week along with Zuar Antia and Eddie Bolger, was
delighted with Nolan's third round performance.
"He
really pushed home in the last round. He pulled out all the stops. He showed
that we're here to win gold medals. If you want to hear Amhrán na bhFiann and
the tricolour raised on foreign shores - that's the motto of the team, said
Walsh.
"Pete Taylor, his coach at home, has done a fantastic job
with him over the last two years. He's brought him on in leaps and bounds. He's
grown in confidence and hopefully he can make an impact in
London."
Nolan and Paddy Barnes qualified for the 2012 Olympics in
Trabzon.
They join Michael Conlan, John Joe Nevin and Darren
O'Neill, who qualified for the 30th Olympiad at the 2011 AIBA World
Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on the Irish team for London
2012.
Nolan (gold), Barnes (bronze) and Tommy McCarthy (bronze) finished in
podium positions in Trabzon.
Twenty six Olympic places were claimed in Trabzon this
week.
Ireland finished third http://88.85.4.2/pdf/000082/C96B.PDF in
the rankings tables at the 43-nation tournament featuring 196 boxers and
in fourth spot http://88.85.4.2/pdf/000082/C95.PDF in
the medals tables.
Hosts Turkey qualified six for London 2012 this week and
finished on top of both the rankings and medals tables. Turkey had no boxers
qualified for London 2012 prior to the Trabzon
tournament.
The
seven-man Irish squad are due to arrive home from Trabzon via Dublin Airport via
Istanbul (flight TK No. 1977) at 1.20pm tomorrow (Sunday, April
22nd).
All
media are invited to attend Sunday's homecoming.
AIBA European Olympic Qualifiers Trabzon,
Turkey
April 15th (Evening) (last 32)
60kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) beat Joe Cordina
(Wales) RET3
81kg: Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Kennedy Katende (Sweden)
16-6
April 16th (Afternoon) (last 16)
64kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) lost to Dimitri Galagot
(Moldova) 11-24
69kg: Adam Nolan (Ireland) beat Thomasz Kot (Poland)
14-9
April 16th (Evening) (last 16)
81kg: Joe Ward (Ireland) lost to Bahran Muzaffer (Turkey)
15-18 (result was the subject of a protest by IABA)
91kg: Tommy McCarthy (Ireland) beat Copla Alem (Bosnia
& Herzegovina) 12-3
91+kg: Con Sheehan (Ireland) lost to Muhammet Erkan Aci
(Turkey) 12-17
April 18th (Afternoon)
Quarter-finals
49kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Stefan Caslarov
(Romania) 17-9
60kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) lost to Evaldas
Petrauskas (Lithuania)10-19
69kg: Adam Nolan (Ireland) beat Tamerlan Abdullayev
(Azerbaijan) 17-13
91kg: Tommy McCarthy (Ireland) beat Josepf Darmos
(Hungary) 16-7
April 20th (Semi-finals)
49kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) lost to Ferhat Pehlivan
(Turkey) 14-21
69kg: Adam Nolan (Ireland) beat Ionut Gheorghe (Romania)
19-10
91kg: Tommy McCarthy (Ireland) lost to Vladimir Cheles
(Moldova) 12-15
April 21st Finals
69kg: Adam Nolan (Ireland) beat Patrick Wojcicki
(Germany) 14-14 (countback)
(no
countback scores available)
Irish squad and
management
49kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family
GG)
60kg; David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s
Athy)
64kg: Ross Hickey (Grangecon)
69kg: Adam Nolan (Bray)
81kg: Joe Ward (Moate)
91kg: Tommy McCarthy (Oliver
Plunkett)
91+kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel
IABA President: Tommy Murphy
Director of Boxing: Dominic O'Rourke
Team manager: Des Donnelly
Head coach: Billy Walsh
Coaches: Zuar Antia & Eddie Bolger
Performance psychologist: Gerry Hussey
Performance Analyst: Alan Swanton
Physio: Conor Murphy
