Serbia’s Nina Radovanovic delivered the main sensation of the third day of boxing in Madrid
29 August 2019The EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships continued with 20 contests in the Spanish capital in Madrid on Day3. The winners at the middleweight (75kg) are now guaranteed medallists in Madrid but the main sensation was delivered by Serbia’s Nina Radovanovic in the evening session.
The event is taking place in Madrid’s suburb region in Alcobendas City which is the first continental championship in Spain since 1971. The EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships is also a preparation event for the Ulan-Ude 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
Altogether 136 elite female boxers from 31 nations are taking part in the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships: Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales.
The bout of the day
Finland’s defending EUBC European Women’s Champion Mira Potkonen defeated England’s Commonwealth Games runner-up Paige Murney in the final of the Cologne Boxing World Cup this April. The two experienced boxers had to meet each other once again and opened the boxing matches on Day3. Finland’s lightweight (60kg) star received punches from the 15-year-old younger English hope in the first round when Murney used her distance well enough. The Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist Potkonen changed her rhythm and tried to launch punches from all angles and finally she was able to eliminate her well-developed English rival.
Surprise of the day
Armenia’s EUBC European U22 Champion Anush Grigoryan won the Cologne Boxing World Cup as well and she is among the best flyweight (51kg) boxers in the continent. The Armenian could not use her best tactic in the first round and she was caught by Serbia’s Nina Radovanovic. The referee counted the Armenian in the opening minute and following that Grigoryan lost the control and did not follow her strategy. The Serbian boxer was aggressive in their contest and her pressurizing style delivered for her a superb success on Day3.
The Round-up
Italy’s Francesca Martusciello received the right to attend at the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships replacing Valentina Alberti and Rebecca Nicoli at the lightweight (60kg). The 22-year-old Italian was brave in the first round against Belarus’ more experienced southpaw Alla Yarshevich. The Belarusian was quarter-finalist at the Minsk 2019 European Games and she is member of the national team since 2011. Yarshevich caught her Italian rival with strong punches in the third round which guaranteed her narrow success over the young talent.
Ireland’s defending AIBA Women’s World Champion at the lightweight (60kg) Kellie Harrington injured in the Minsk 2019 European Games and she did not recover to the start of the Madrid event. She was replaced by two-time EUBC European U22 Champion Amy Broadhurst who is one of the best prospects in this weight class. The 22-year-old Irish southpaw landed several tough right-handed jabs against Czech Republic’s Dominika Ciklova and won her debuting contest in Madrid.
Sweden’s Agnes Alexiusson and Switzerland’s Sandra Brugger both are experienced boxers with more than 140 bouts during their careers. The former AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Swedish boxer used her speed to keep the best fighting distance against the Swiss in the first round. The Minsk 2019 European Games bronze medallist Swedish defeated Brugger in the Golden Girl Box Cup earlier this year and she used the same tactic once again. Brugger, who claimed silver already in the 2007 European Women’s Boxing Championships, moved forward but Alexiusson’s counters decided their bout.
France’s Maiva Hamadouche claimed bronze medal at the 2011 European Union Boxing Championships but after a few years of missing from the events she returned to the Olympic boxing. Hamadouche had 21-1 professional record in the recent years and following those experiences she was confident against Lithuania’s Ana Starovoitova. Following the tactical first round the French lightweight (60kg) boxer turned up the heat and the referee confirmed her RSC success following three standing counts.
Turkey’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Sennur Demir moved down two categories this year and she attends at the middleweight (75kg) in Madrid. Her last preparation event was a great success as she won the Balkan Women’s Tournament in Bulgaria three weeks ago. The Turkish veteran had to meet in the quarter-final with Russia’s Youth Olympic Games winner and two-time AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Anastasia Shamonova. Demir started better but the Russian teenager was able to turn back their fight which was an early final in Madrid.
Sweden’s Love Holgersson was gold medallist at the 2011 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships and following Anna Laurell’s retirement, she can represent the Nordic country in the top elite events. The tall Swedish boxer, who won several international events in the recent years, used her longer reach to keep the safest distance against Serbia’s Milena Matovic. The Swedish middleweight (75kg) boxer landed high number of successful counter-punches and secured her place in the last four winning a guaranteed medal.
Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu won the gold medal in the Minsk 2019 European Games and she started with superb performance in the event. The Turkish boxer had a tough rival Ireland’s Ceire Smith who eliminated Hungary’s Krisztina Beri in the previous round. Smith was competitive for the Turkish flyweight (51kg) in the first round but from the second Cakiroglu was better and used her speed to land punches. The promising Turkish boxer will be meeting in the last eight with Spain’s Eva Maria Diez who had several excellent hooks against Denmark’s Amalie Manich.
Russia’s Elena Saveleva was AIBA Women’s World Champion nine years ago and after some break she decided to return to the top level. The experienced Russian flyweight (51kg) boxer was a hard target for England’s new national team member Tori-Ellis Willetts. Saveleva used a world class footwork in their contest and advanced to the last eight in the continental event. The Russian boxer will be facing in the quarter-finals with Belarus’ Volha Lushchyk who eliminated Romania’s Claudia Nechita.
