Former World champion Amy Broadhurst has completed her allegiance switch from Ireland to Great Britain, following an Olympic selection snub from the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA).
The Dundalk woman had previously alluded to the potential changeover, but has now confirmed her selection for Team GB ahead of the Olympic qualifiers in Bangkok from May 25th to June 2nd, 2024.
It comes as, back in March, the IABA bestowed their pick for the final Olympic qualification tournament to Grainne Walsh, over both Broadhurst and fellow Irish competitor at the time, Lisa O’Rourke.
Broadhurst qualifies for team GB through her father, Tony, who originally hails from England.
📰 | NEWS: GB Boxing selects eight boxers for final Olympic qualifier in Thailand
For the full story, click here! ⬇️ https://t.co/22kXzi71us pic.twitter.com/fJANuGFSIA— GB Boxing (@gbboxing) April 29, 2024
In a statement on social media, the 27 year old outlined her thoughts behind what she refers to as an “alternative route to the Olympic Games.”
She also describes how she took this decision only after she “was informed by the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) in March 2024 that I would not be assessed for selection for the final qualifier - was not taken lightly.”
“As the holder of a British passport, I felt I owed it to myself and all the people that have supported me throughout my career to do everything possible to continue to pursue my dream of competing on the biggest stage in sport,” she continued.
“Since I first walked into the GB Boxing gym, I have been made to feel incredibly welcome by my new teammates and all of the coaches and support staff and I would like to thank everyone at GB Boxing for their support and hard work over recent weeks in helping to keep my Olympic dream alive and enabling me to have this opportunity.
“My priority now is to continue to train hard, listen to the coaches and give myself the best possible chance of succeeding at the qualifier and achieving my dream of securing a place at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“I have nothing further to add at this time and will not be making any further public comment until after the qualifying event in Thailand.”
Broadhurst did in fact miss out on a ticket to the Paris Games at the European Olympic qualifier last year, and, following a shoulder injury, was left sidelined for the remainder of the year.
Walsh had in fact come out the victor over Broadhurst in the Irish welterweight or 66kg division in the national final in January of last year, which is believed to have informed the IABA’s decision, although both Broadhurst and O’Rourke seem to have been under the impression that there would be a further ‘box off’ to determine the number one pick.
In 2022 however, Broadhurst did win both World and European Championships in the light-welterweight division, and as such, felt aggrieved at the IABA’s decision given she was still amongst their highest rated boxers.
Reacting to her original exclusion at the end of March, she touched on how she was “left broken-hearted and completely devastated.”
“I have won World, European and Commonwealth gold medals and remain the IABA's highest rated boxer in the current world rankings but my lifelong dream has been to become an Olympian. I have split blood, sweat and tears over 22 years in the boxing ring in pursuit of that childhood goal.
"Since being informed of the IABA's decision, I have been exploring all options available to me to keep that dream alive. I will continue to do so because the Olympic flame continues to burn brightly in me and I am determined to do everything in my power to become an Olympian."
— Amy Broadhurst (@amybroadhurst12) March 28, 2024
A weight class switch for Amy Broadhurst?
Though her attempts as of late were to qualify for the Olympics in the 66kg weight, it is thought that Amy Broadhurst favours boxing at the lightweight or 60kg class.
This was in many ways confirmed through her selection at lightweight for Team GB.
Should she garner qualification for the Paris Games at that weight division, there is a possibility that she may meet reigning Olympic champion Kellie Harrington down the tracks.
On confirmation of the Team GB group that would compete in the competition, GB Boxing’s Performance Director, Rob McCracken, talked about Broadhurst’s inclusion, while also mentioning that it is “always very difficult and it is very disappointing for those boxers that have not quite made it.”
“There were some very close calls when it came to selecting the eight for the final qualifier, but having analysed the form, fitness and track record of all the candidates, we have chosen the boxers that we think have the best chance of being successful in Thailand and securing a place at the Olympic Games,” he says.
“GB Boxing’s selection criteria dictates that we choose people that demonstrate the potential to qualify for and to win a medal at the Olympic Games and, having closely assessed all of the boxers at recent training camps and examined their past performances at elite international tournaments, the coaches were unanimous in their view of which boxer fulfilled the criteria most in the women’s lightweight division.”
