Euro Women’s Boxing Champs Bucharest 2014

Twenty-five bouts were been held on the second competition day of the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships in Bucharest, where Europe’s two top female boxers in Ireland’s Katie Taylor and Russia’s Sofya Ochigava both won their bouts in the Olympic Lightweight class (60 kg).

Bout of the day
Ireland’s London 2012 Olympic Champion, and four-time AIBA World Champion Katie Taylor is hunting for her next European title in Bucharest.

The Lightweight class (60 kg) star opened her competition against an old rival, Switzerland’s Sandra Brugger, who has been a member of the Swiss national squad since 2005.

The two met each other in the final of the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships in Vejle, Denmark in 2007, where Taylor stopped her Basel-based Swiss rival.

In their rematch in Bucharest, Taylor dominated all of the rounds, and advanced to the quarter-finals where she will meet Romania’s 19-year-old hope Lavinia Ioana Mera.

Team of the day
All of the three Polish boxers advanced to the next round during their action on the second competition day, following their triumphs over English, Hungarian and Ukrainian athletes in Bucharest.

AIBA Women’s World Championships silver medallist Sandra Kruk was the first of the team to win when she defeated England’s Sarah Dunne utilising a very aggressive style.

Former AIBA World Champion and London 2012 Olympian Karolina Michalczuk moved up to the Lightweight class (60 kg) this year, and she is unbeaten in her new category.

The 35-year-old veteran was matched against Hungary’s new national team member Vivien Csombor, who is fifteen years younger than the Polish star.

Michalczuk belied her advancing years, and won the contest by unanimous decision, while Poland’s newcomer in the national squad, Natalia Hollinska achieved Poland’s third victory in the competition, when she triumphed over Ukraine’s Olena Kolesnyk by split decision.

Surprise of the day
Italy’s AIBA Women’s World Championships competitor 29-year-old Romina Marenda is an experienced elite boxer, but she had a tough fight against Sweden’s new future star, the AIBA Junior World Champion Ida Lundblad who has joined the elite level after her extremely successful youth career.

Marenda defeated her teenage rival by split decision in a close fight, due a great effort in the final two minutes.

She will now meet with France’s EU Champion Estelle Mossely in the quarter-finals.

Ones to watch
The Bantamweight class (54 kg) is one of the strongest category in the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships, and the weight class’ top bout brought a real Nordic derby which was held between Norway’s multiple international tournament winner Marielle Hansen and Sweden’s Juliana Soederstroem.

Hansen almost qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and her tactics was successful her Swedish opponent, which means she can now prepare for her next preliminary bout.

Russia’s Elena Savelyeva is the defending Champion at the Bantamweight class (54 kg), but she had to fight at her very best against Azerbaijan’s Strandja Memorial Tournament bronze medallist Anna Alimardanova to advance to the quarter-finals in Bucharest.

In the same weight class, Italy’s veteran Marzia Davide outpointed Serbia’s Jovana Krstic using her height advantage, and her next opponent will be England’s AIBA Women’s World Championships bronze medallist Lisa Whiteside who defeated the host nation’s Claudia Nechita on Day 2.

Quote of the day
“I am satisfied with my performance in the ring today, which was a good start for me here in the European Championships in Bucharest. My tactic was clear against my Swedish opponent and I tried to follow the instructions: light footwork, the best movements and aggression in the bout. I am very excited about my next contest but I know I will be able to solve that one as well,” said Norway’s Marielle Hansen following her triumph against Sweden’s Juliana Soederstroem.

DAY 1

European Women’s Boxing Championships Bucharest 2014

The European Boxing Confederation’s first continental event in 2014, the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships started its first competition day in the capital city of Romania in Bucharest.

Hungary’s AIBA Youth World Champion, the 18-year-old Petra Szatmari shocked Russia’s Maria Urakova on the first competition day, while other European female stars also opened with wins in the Championships.

Bout of the day
France’s Estelle Mossely joined the national team at the 2010 European Union Women’s Championships in 2010 at the age of 18 where she won the gold medal.

Since then she was a quarter-finalist in the last edition of the AIBA Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao, and her skills have raised up to the world class level in recent years.

The 22-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) athlete was defeated by England’s new sensation Chantelle Cameron in the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament in Warsaw, Poland, but she avenged her defeat to the English girl with a change of tactics in Bucharest.

Mossely advanced to the last 16, winning the bout by unanimous decision, while Cameron can continue her preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, scheduled for Glasgow in July.

Team of the day
Three Hungarian boxers had to fight on the first competition day, and all of them advanced to the next stage of the Championships.

Their current AIBA Youth World Champion Petra Szatmari is only 18 years old, but she was able to find the best fighting distance in the second part of her bout against Russia’s National Selection Tournament winner experienced Maria Urakova, in the preliminary stage of the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg).

European Union Women’s Champion Bianka Nagy continued the winning path of the Hungarian delegation, and turned back the battle against Ukraine’s Sportaccord World Combat Games competitor Nila Lipska, who moved down to the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) from the Middleweight class (75 kg) in the recent past.

National Champion Virginia Barankai also won her opening battle in Bucharest against Armenia’s EUBC European Women’s Youth Championships bronze medallist Kristine Sargsyan, in a narrow bout which was won via split decision by the 19-year-old Hungarian.

Surprises of the day
Poland’s National Champion Kinga Siwa moved up to the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) last year, and travelled to Bucharest to raise her experience at international level.

Siwa gained more than just experience in her first contest of the tournament, picking up the biggest surprise win of the first competition day.

She met with Turkey’s AIBA World Champion Gulsum Tatar who has been at the top level since 2004, and Siwa’s efforts were enough to beat her star opponent in Bucharest.

Sweden’s former AIBA World Champion and London 2012 Olympian Anna Laurell returned to the world of boxing this year, but she could not stop Netherlands’ EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships silver medallist Nouchka Fontijn’s attacks, and was eliminated by her tough Dutch opponent on the first preliminary day.

One to watch
Russia’s superstar boxer, the two-time AIBA World Champion and London 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist Sofya Ochigava is perhaps the only boxer who has got a realistic chance to beat Ireland’s Katie Taylor in Bucharest.

The 27-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer met with Netherlands’ newcomer Maria Janssen, who was proud of the fact that she managed to last the distance with Ochigava on their bout.

The Russian boxer won the contest by unanimous decision, and moves one step closer to her expected clash with Ireland’s Taylor.

Quote of the day
“I was not in enough shape in the opening round against my strong Russian opponent, but I raised my concentration in the second frame, and following that I felt good in the bout. I know I did my best performance in the final round, and tried to prevent her attacks with jabs so I am happy that finally my hand was raised. My next opponent will be Aynur Rzayeva who is unknown for me, and I have never met a boxer from Azerbaijan before, but I am trusting my my speed in the quarter-final,” commented Petra Szatmari of Hungary after her first win of the tournament.