Ava Henry and Kyla Doyle Byrne win gold at European youth championships

Ava Henry and Kyla Doyle Byrne win gold at European youth championships
Grace Fisher
Grace Fisher

Ava Henry and Kyla Doyle Byrne are both European Youth Champions after winning their respective finals in Croatia, while Grace Conway Dowling had to settle for silver after defeat by Ukraine's Taisiia Pokusai.

It was Conway Dowling who was up first in the flyweight final, but she had to settle for a second European silver after a frustrating contest with last year's European junior gold medallist. In the third round Pokusai was given a warning for persistent holding but after a long wait a bout review went the way of the Ukrainian 5-2.

It was a second European GOLD for Henry to add to her Junior honours, though, as the Ireland co-captain and light welterweight put on a dominant display against another Ukrainian fighter, Yulia Stupakova. Henry was given a 30-27 decision by four out of five judges (with all 10-9 scores in the second) though the Estonian judge gave two rounds to Stupakova.

Doyle Byrne added to the day's triumph when she overcame Romanian Amalia Tugui in the welterweight final as a bout review went 5-2 in the Whitechurch boxer's favor after a fierce contest.

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Henry and Doyle Byrne are Ireland's 11th and 12th European Youth champions respectively, following in the footsteps of such greats as Cliona Darcy, Amy Broadhurst, and Dearbhla Tinnelly.

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