TO say it has been an unorthodox qualification process for the Tokyo Olympics would be quite the understatement.

The realities of the past 16 months left in boxers in a state of flux as the European Qualifiers for the planned 2020 Games were postponed as they were just getting going at the Copper Box Arena in London last March.

When the final bell sounded on March 16, some boxers found themselves already assured of a place at the Olympics that were subsequently moved to July/August 2021, while some were either eliminated, hadn’t boxed, or had come through their opening bouts with work still to do to gain one of those precious slots.

The format for qualification was initially designed for those who lost out in London to go onto a second chance at a final World Qualifier in Paris last summer, but as Covid-19 continued to play havoc with life as we knew it, the planned World Qualifier was shelved with those remaining sports awarded to the highest ranked fighters in each weight class.

Lisburn featherweight Kurt Walker would benefit from this decision as despite losing his opening bout on London last year to Germany’s Hamsat Shadalov, past performances from the European gold medallist ensured he was ranked highly enough to command one of those slots.

It wasn’t such good news for Carly McNaul who had hoped for a second chance after defeat to Britain’s Charley-Sian Davison, but the South Belfast woman’s ranking points were not enough to see her claim a spot, a situation replicated by Cork’s Christina Desmond.

Team captain Brendan Irvine won his opening bout against Hungary’s Istavan Szaka and with eight places on offer in the flyweight division, this was enough for the St Paul’s ABC man to qualify for a second-straight Games and he will pick up where he left off when taking on Spain’s Gabriel Escobar this week with a longer run in the competition likely to help boost his seeding in August.

For Irvine and all of those still in contention, the European Qualifier resumes in Paris this Friday and with no safety net of a second chance, barring their world ranking being sufficiently high, it’s win or go home for those still to qualify.

“It’s been surreal, to be honest - the longest tournament in history I’d imagine,” said team coach John Conlan.

“I suppose if you were thinking you had two opportunities you may look at it slightly different, but we take every tournament as the be-all and end-all.

“It’s difficult for some like Carly McNaul who had maybe two weeks’ notice to go to that (European) qualifier that got suspended and she won’t get another crack, same as our 69 (kg, Christina Desmond), so that is one of the losses. You just have to roll with the punches and get on with it.”

The long delay from one bout to the next may have been hugely frustrating for those including Monkstown ABC welterweight Aidan Walsh.

He won his last 32 bout against Spain’s Pavel Kamanin and will have felt he was getting into his stride ahead of a second-round showdown with Wahid Hambli of France.

Older sister, Michaela, is also paired with French opposition as she enters the fray against Mona Mestian at the same stage with the Blacks Road siblings both requiring two victories (reach the semi-final or win a box-off of defeated in the quarters) to qualify.

Having peaked to get the job done last year, it was far from ideal to have to sit it out for over a year, but there are positives to take according to Conlan who says the time has been used wisely.

“It’s a bit up and down for some of them,” he admitted.

“Aidan was new into the team, although he had been with me at the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youths, he was new to the national team.

“That extra time has helped him really improve as he has more international camps and competition under his belt.

“Aidan has probably benefited from this break along with one or two others as it has given them more time to develop as an elite athlete.

“I think for everybody in the world or in the European qualifiers, there’s nothing really different for anybody.

“People were in the middle of a tournament and all of a sudden it’s suspended, so all have had to go back and manage these things.”

John Conlan with Brendan Irvine who has already qualified
2Gallery

John Conlan with Brendan Irvine who has already qualified

In a tournament format, there is little time to forensically study each opponent with bouts usually taking place at most two days apart.

Going into this weekend, it can be safely assumed that fighters and coaches have studied the opposition to the nth degree and that will likely translate into highly technical opening bouts.

“It has given us more time to look at our opponents,” Conlan agreed.

“They will have improved and we have improved. We’ve been in some training camps with them and some competitions, so I don’t think anybody has really gained.

“I heard there were some countries boxing here, there and everywhere, but in reality they were going away, getting Covid and quarantining for ages.

“I think we have prepared the best we can within the restrictions we’ve had. We have been able to bring in our number twos and threes for sparring and have just got on with it.”

It will be a quick turnaround for those who do join Irvine and Walker on the flight to Tokyo as the Games are scheduled to begin next month.

However, the Irish team have already put their plans in place and even with a period of isolating when returning from Paris, there is a confidence they will have those who head to Japan in peak condition when the Opening Ceremony takes place on July 23.

One man who will not be going is Michael Nevin who surprised everyone by announcing he has signed a professional contract and will not box in the 75kg category this week and can’t be replaced having won an opening bout last March, while Gytis Lisinskas replaces Dean Gardner who withdrew before fighting in an opening bout.

“We have plans in place and a programme there for them,” Conlan confirmed.

“We have a training camp in Tokyo already organised. As it stands it will be with Japan, Germany, USA and us, which is exactly what we want.

“It’s going to be a quick turnaround from the qualifiers. We will have to isolate for as long as we are told and get back at it again quickly. I don’t see that as an obstacle; the boys will be well within the range to get back to the peak where they need to be for Tokyo.”
 
How it stands (Olympic qualification standard in brackets)
Male
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s) (qualified)
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal, Lisburn) (qualified through World quota)
63kg George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 8)
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)
81kg Emmet Brennan (Dublin Docklands) (Top 6)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin) (Top 4)
91+kg Gytis Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles, Galway) (Top 4)
Female
51kg Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road) (eliminated)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 6)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork, Garda BC) (eliminated)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon) (Top 4)
 
Upcoming bouts
Last 16
57kg Michaela Walsh v Mona Mestian (France)
60kg Kellie Harrington v Aneta Rygielska (Poland)
63kg George Bates v Javid Chalabiyev (Azerbaijan)
69kg Aidan Walsh v Wahid Hambli (France)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke v Viktoriya Kebikava (Belarus)
81kg Emmet Brennan v Uke Smajli (Switzerland)
91kg Kiril Afanasev v Emanual Reyes (Spain)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner v Petar Belberov (Bulgaria)
 
Quarter-Final
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Gabriel Escobar (Spain)