After ten intense days and a total of 306 bouts, the boxing tournament of the III European Games came to an end at the Nowy Targ Arena today, with the last six gold medal matches crowning champions in the Women’s 50kg, 57kg, and 75kg events, and in the Men’s 57kg, 71kg, and +92kg weight categories.
The tournament served as a Boxing Road to Paris continental qualifier, distributing 44 quota places across 13 weight categories for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 (find a detailed table of the qualified athletes at the bottom of this news).
In the first gold medal match of the day, the Women’s 50kg event saw the two most successful nations of this tournament meeting in a direct clash as Turkey’s Buse Naz Cakiroglu faced France’s Wassila Lkhadiri. Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Cakiroglu was the favorite going into the match as she came to Poland to defend the European Games title she won in 2019, and she didn’t disappoint her fans. Dominating for three rounds and earning 10/9 decisions across her scorecard, the Turkish athlete imposed a commanding 5-0 decision on her French rival to finish atop the podium. Her victory also lifted Turkey to the second place in the overall medal rankings by event.
France was in the spotlight again in the Women’s 57kg final, as Amina Zidani clinched a 4-1 victory over Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva at the end of a hard-fought medal match. After the first two rounds, the bout was still open, with Zidani enjoying a slight advantage over her Bulgarian opponent. Round 3 became the game changer as the French athlete zeroed in and landed a few powerful blows, coming out in the lead.
It was the 2019 and 2022 European champion Aoife O’Rourke from Ireland who stood on the top step of the podium in the Women’s 75kg event. The 25-year-old boxer outscored Davina-Myrha Michel, the third French finalist of the day, with a 5-0 victory after leading throughout the entire match.
Moments later, a high-energy final bout decided the outcome of the Men’s 57kg event, with Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez Diaz and Spain’s Jose Quiles Brotons boxing at full pace. Round 1 finished with the two athletes almost tied, leaving the bout wide open. It was in Rounds 2 and 3 that the Bulgarian athlete stepped up his efforts, claiming both rounds to secure the gold medal match by unanimous decision.
In the Men’s 71kg final, Nikolai Terteryan of Denmark secured the European Games title by defeating Serbia’s Vakhid Abbasov with a split decision (4-1). The Danish athlete comfortably led Rounds 1 and 2, collecting a string of 10/9 decisions, and then withstood the Serbian’s comeback in Round 3 to claim the gold medal.
The last match of the boxing tournament of the European Games, Bout 306, crowned Delicious Justin Orie (GBR) as the Men’s +92kg champion after a stellar match against Mahammad Abdullayev (AZE). Round 1 slightly favored Abdullayev (3 out of 5 judges voted for him), while Orie led Round 2, securing the votes of all judges. Round 3 became the tiebreaker between the two. There, Orie took advantage of his longer reach to control the distance and landed a series of powerful and precise blows that lifted him to the top of the podium with a commanding unanimous decision of 5-0. The Superheavyweight boxer, who follows in the footsteps of 2012 Olympic Champion Anthony Joshua, now looks forward to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, where he will be seen as the man to beat.
After hundreds of great bouts and a display of superb boxing, the curtains fall on the European Games. But the Boxing Road to Paris continues. The qualification series will now proceed with four more continental legs to be held in 2023 and two World Qualifiers scheduled in the first and second quarters of 2024 (dates and locations to be confirmed).
Spotlights are now turning to Dakar, Senegal, where an ad-hoc Africa Qualification Tournament will be held on September 9-15, 2023. Olympic qualifications for boxing will then continue at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN) from September 23 to October 8, 2023. American athletes will follow swiftly, stepping into the ring from October 20 to November 5, 2023. Finally, the 2023 Pacific Games will serve as a qualifier for Oceania from November 27 to December 2, 2023.
Stay tuned for more boxing action!
Results: https://results.european-games.org/EG2023/ENG/reports/BOX/all-event/
Photos: https://boxing.athlete365.org/boxing-road-to-paris-2024/europ-photo-galleries/
Videos: https://europeangames.tv/sports/boxing
III European Games Boxing Tournament Medal Standings, by Country (after 13 out 13 events finished)
| NOC | G | S | B |
| France (FRA) | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Turkie (TUR) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Irland (IRL) | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Bulgaria (BUL) | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Italy (ITA) | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Great Britain (GBR) | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Denmark (DEN) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ukraine (UKR) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Serbia (SRB) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Spain (ESP) | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Belgium (BEL) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Azerbaijan (AZE) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Croatia (CRO) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Georgia (GEO) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Romania (ROU) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary (HUN) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Germany (GER) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Poland (POL) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Sweden (SWE) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
III European Games Boxing Tournament Medal Standings, by Event (after 13 out 13 events finished)
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| W 50kg | Buse Naz Cakiroglu (TUR) | Wassila Lkhadiri (FRA) | FUERTES FERNANDEZ Laura (ESP) | SORRENTINO Giordana (ITA) |
| W 54kg | PETROVA Stanimira (BUL) | PERIJOC Lenuta Lacramioara (ROU) | AKBAS Hatice (TUR) | DAVISON Charley-Sian Taylor (GBR) |
| W 57kg | Amina Zidani (FRA) | Svetlana Kamenova Staneva (BUL) | WALSH Michaela (IRL) | TESTA Irma (ITA) |
| W 60kg | HARRINGTON Kellie (IRL) | SHADRINA Natalia (SRB) | MOSSELY Estelle (FRA) | OZER Gizem (TUR) |
| W 66kg | SURMENELI Busenaz (TUR) | DERIEUW Oshin (BEL) | HAMORI Anna Luca (HUN) | ECCLES Rosie Joy (GBR) |
| W 75kg | Aoife O’Rourke (IRL) | Davina-Myrha Michel (FRA) | SCHOENBERGER Irina Nicoletta (GER) | WOJCIK Elzbieta (POL) |
| M 51kg | BENNAMA Billal (FRA) | GUMUS Samet (TUR) | MACDONALD Kiaran Bradley (GBR) | SERRA Federico Emilio (ITA) |
| M 57kg | Javier Ibanez Diaz (BUL) | Jose Quiles Brotons (ESP) | USTUROI Vasile (BEL) | IBRAHIM Nebil Mahmud (SWE) |
| M 63.5kg | OUMIHA Sofiane (FRA) | GURULI Lasha (GEO) | CLANCY Dean (IRL) | KOVACS Richard (HUN) |
| M 71kg | Nikolai Terteryan (DEN) | Vakhid Abbasov (SRB) | TRAORE Makan-Vie (FRA) | ERDEMIR Tugrulhan (TUR) |
| M 80kg | KHYZHNIAK Oleksandr (UKR) | VEOCIC Gabrijel (CRO) | CAVALLARO Salvatore (ITA) | ALLAHVERDIYEV Murad (AZE) |
| M 92kg | MOUHIIDINE Aziz Abbes (ITA) | MARLEY Jack (IRL) | REYES PLA Enmanuel (ESP) | BEREZNICKI Mateusz (POL) |
| M +92kg | Delicious Justin Orie (GBR) | Mahammad Abdullayev (AZE) | HERNANDEZ MOREJON Yordan Alain (BUL) | TIAFACK Nelvie Raman (GER) |
Paris 2024 Quota Places awarded (44 out of 44) at the European Games, by Event
| Event | Quota Place | Quota Place | Quota Place | Quota Place |
| W 50kg | Buse Naz Cakiroglu (TUR) | Giordana Sorrentino (ITA) | Laura Fuertes Fernandez (ESP) | Wassila Lkhadiri (FRA) |
| W 54kg | Charley-Sian Taylor Davison (GBR) | Stanimira Petrova (BUL) | Lenuta Lacramioara Perijoc (ROU) | Hatice Akbas (TUR) |
| W 57kg | Irma Testa (ITA) | Svetlana Kamenova Staneva (BUL) | Micahela Walsh (IRL) | Amina Zidani (FRA) |
| W 60kg | Kellie Harrington (IRL) | Estelle Mossely (FRA) | Gizem Ozer (TUR) | Natalia Shadrina (SRB) |
| W 66kg | Anna Luca Hamori (HUN) | Oshin Derieuw (BEL) | Rosie Joy Eccles (GBR) | Busenaz Surmeneli (TUR) |
| W 75kg | Davina-Myrha Michel (FRA) | Aoife O’Rourke (IRL) | Only 2 quotas available | Only 2 quotas available |
| M 51kg | Billal Bennama (FRA) | Samet Gumus (TUR) | Only 2 quotas available | Only 2 quotas available |
| M 57kg | Vasile Usturoi (BEL) | Javier Ibanez Diaz (BUL) | Nebil Mahmud Ibrahim (SWE) | Jose Quiles Brotons (ESP) |
| M 63.5kg | Dean Clancy (IRL) | Sofiane Oumiha (FRA) | Lasha Guruli (GEO) | Richard Kovacs (HUN) |
| M 71kg | Makan-Vie Traore (FRA) | Nikolai Terteryan (DEN) | Vakhid Abbasov (SRB) | Tugrulhan Erdemir (TUR) |
| M 80kg | Salvatore Cavallaro (ITA) | Oleksandr Khyzhniak (UKR) | Gabrijel Veocic (CRO) | Murad Allahverdiyev (AZE) |
| M 92kg | Jack Marley (IRL) | Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine (ITA) | Only 2 quotas available | Only 2 quotas available |
| M +92kg | Mahammad Abdullayev (AZE) | Delicious Justin Orie (GBR) | Only 2 quotas available | Only 2 quotas available |
Paris 2024 Quota Places awarded (44 out of 44) at the European Games, by Country
| NOC | # | Quota Places |
| France (FRA) | 7 | · Women’s 50kg: Wassila Lkhadiri, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 57kg: Amina Zidani, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 60kg: Estelle Mossely, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 75kg Davina-Myrha Michel (FRA), 30 June 2023 · Men’s 63.5kg: Sofiane Oumiha, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 71kg: Makan-Vie Traore, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 51kg: Billal Bennama, 30 June 2023 |
| Turkie (TUR) | 6 | · Women’s 54kg: Hatice Akbas, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 50kg: Buse Naz Cakiroglu, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 60kg: Gizem Ozer, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 66kg: Busenaz Surmeneli, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 71kg: Tugrulhan Erdemir, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 51kg: Samet Gumus, 30 June 2023 |
| Ireland (IRL) | 5 | · Women’s 57kg: Micahela Walsh, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 60kg: Kellie Harrington, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 75kg: Aoife O’Rourke (IRL), 30 June 2023 · Men’s 63.5kg: Dean Clancy, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 92kg: Jack Marley, 30 June 2023 |
| Italy (ITA) | 4 | · Women’s 50kg: Giordana Sorrentino, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 57kg: Irma Testa, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 80kg: Salvatore Cavallaro, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 92kg: Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine (ITA), 30 June 2023 |
| Bulgaria (BUL) | 3 | · Women’s 54kg: Stanimira Petrova, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 57kg: Svetlana Kamenova Staneva, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 57kg: Javier Ibanez Diaz, 28 June 2023 |
| Great Britain (GBR) | 3 | · Women’s 54kg: Charley-Sian Taylor Davison, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 66kg: Rosie Joy Eccles, 28 June 2023 · Men’s +92kg: Delicious Justin Orie, 30 June 2023 |
| Azerbaijan (AZE) | 2 | · Men’s 80kg: Murad Allahverdiyev, 28 June 2023 · Men’s +92kg: Mahammad Abdullayev (AZE), 30 June 2023 |
| Belgium (BEL) | 2 | · Men’s 57kg: Vasile Usturoi, 28 June 2023 · Women’s 66kg: Oshin Derieuw, 28 June 2023 |
| Hungary (HUN) | 2 | · Women’s 66kg: Anna Luca Hamori, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 63.5kg: Richard Kovacs, 28 June 2023 |
| Serbia (SRB) | 2 | · Women’s 60kg: Natalia Shadrina, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 71kg: Vakhid Abbasov, 28 June 2023 |
| Spain (ESP) | 2 | · Women’s 50kg: Laura Fuertes Fernandez, 28 June 2023 · Men’s 57kg: Jose Quiles Brotons, 28 June 2023 |
| Croatia (CRO) | 1 | · Men’s 80kg: Gabrijel Veocic, 28 June 2023 |
| Denmark (DEN) | 1 | · Men’s 71kg: Nikolai Terteryan, 28 June 2023 |
| Georgia (GEO) | 1 | · Men’s 63.5kg: Lasha Gurul, 28 June 2023 |
| Roumania (ROU) | 1 | · Women’s 54kg: Lenuta Lacramioara Perijoc, 28 June 2023 |
| Sweden (SWE) | 1 | · Men’s 57kg: Nebil Mahmud Ibrahim, 28 June 2023 |
| Ukraine (UKR) | 1 | · Men’s 80kg: Oleksandr Khyzhniak, 28 June 2023 |
