Grainne Walsh Wins Bronze at World Boxing Championships in Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England — Grainne Walsh of Ireland secured a bronze medal at the World Boxing Championships after falling short in her semi-final match against Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeyeva in the 65kg division. The bout took place on Wednesday, where Walsh demonstrated determination but ultimately lost by unanimous decision.

Walsh, from County Offaly, began the fight aggressively, aiming for an early lead with accurate punches that kept pressing Abikeyeva back. However, the Kazakh boxer quickly adjusted, using her long jab to establish control early in the match. By the end of the first round, three out of five judges favored Abikeyeva.

As the fight progressed, Abikeyeva leveraged her height and reach advantage, forcing Walsh to chase her in the later rounds. Although Walsh maintained a high work rate and found some openings, Abikeyeva’s precision punches extended her lead going into the final round.

In the last round, Walsh pushed hard to close the gap, but despite her efforts, it was not enough. Her tournament ended with the bronze medal, marking a significant achievement in her boxing career.

Walsh’s teammates are also competing in the Championships, with Aoife O’Rourke aiming for a medal in the 75kg semi-final against China’s Chengyu Yang, and Patsy Joyce set to face Spain’s Rafael Serrano Lozano in the men’s 55kg category.