GORT boxer Cliona D’Arcy won the European Youth Championship 81kg+ title in Bulgaria this evening, defeating Ukrainian fighter Polina Cherenko.
It was a fine display from D’Arcy, who four of the five judges having her as the winner, with only one giving the nod to the Ukrainian. Indeed, three of the five had the Gort woman winning every round.
While Cherenko had a clear advantage in strength and size, D’Arcy had far better movement and frequently caught her opponent with clean shots. The Ukrainian came forward almost continuously, but she was made look rather predictable by the cuteness of the Gort teenager, who ended up winning in some style in front of raucous Irish fans.
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.