Belfast's Aidan Walsh books spot at 2024 Olympic Games after box-off final victory
Belfast boxer Aidan Walsh has successfully booked his spot at the 2024 Olympic Games after coming through a box-off in Thailand.
Having lost a quarter-final bout against Jordan's Zeyad Eashash 4-1 on Friday, which included being deducted two points for holding, Walsh and the other three losing quarter-finalists were thrust into a nervy box-off with the winner taking a spot in the light-middleweight division this summer.
The 27-year-old navigated the first fight in his mission to make it back to the Olympic stage for a second time by picking up a unanimous decision victory over Cuba's Jorge Cuellar on Saturday and followed it up by beating Angel Gabriel Llanos Perez from Puerto Rico on Sunday.
Walsh, who won bronze at Tokyo 2020 and has also medalled at two separate Commonwealth Games, including light-middleweight gold in Birmingham two years ago, will now travel to Paris with the 71kg Round of 32 starting on Sunday, July 28 while the final will be held on Friday, August 9.