The last competition day of the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships was a fantastic showcase for women’s boxing, and every competitor that has taken part in this prestigious competition can be proud of their excellent performances.

One of the most iconic names in all of boxing is Katie Taylor, who continued her amazing winning record by securing her sixth continental title in the championships.

Bout of the day
Ireland’s London 2012 Olympic Champion and four-time AIBA World Champion Katie Taylor had been expecting to fight in the final against Russia’s Sofya Ochigava, but her biggest rival was eliminated by France’s 22-year-old Estelle Mossely in the semi-finals in the biggest surprise of the entire championships.

Taylor had previously beaten Mossely in the final of the EU Women’s Championships in Keszthely, Hungary last July, and Katie’s father, and coach Pete Taylor helped to find the winning tactics once again from ringside in Bucharest, as the Irish hero won every single round on the scorecards.

28-year-old Taylor trains in the city of Bray, and claimed her sixth consecutive European title, writing new history in Bucharest.

The Irish icon won her first European title in Norway back in 2005 when her world class career started, and she proved once again why she is regarded as one of the best boxers on the planet following her well deserved victory over her young French opponent.

Team of the day
Three Russians advanced to the final stage of the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships in Bucharest, but their Flyweight class (51 kg) hope Sayana Sagatayeva could not step into the ring for the final due to injury, so therefore the first gold medal in an Olympic category was achieved by Bulgaria’s Stoyka Petrova.

Russia’s second boxer in the finals was their new National Champion Zinayda Dobrynina, who had previously competed in a smattering of international competitions during her career.

The 24-year-old Featherweight class (57 kg) boxer was able to beat Bulgaria’s AIBA Women’s World Championships bronze medallist Svetlana Kamenova Staneva in Bucharest in spite of her lack of experience.

The second Russian gold medal was delivered by Anastasia Beliakova, who achieved the best result of her career in this tournament.

Beliakova has been involved in the Russian squad since the age of 17, and reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Bridgetown, Barbados.

The Russian has moved up to the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) due to Sofya Ochigava’s dominance in the Olympic weight category, and the move seems to have worked, as the 21-year-old boxer defeated a tough rival in the final, England’s AIBA Women’s World Championships bronze medallist Natasha Jonas.

Ones to watch
Italy’s Marzia Davide claimed the gold medal at the 2003 European Women’s Continental Championships in Pecs, Hungary, and 11 years on the veteran has returned to boxing as an active athlete.

The Bantamweight class (54 kg) boxer met with Poland’s Ewelina Wicherska-Pekalska in the final, who is also an experienced competitor in the sport.

Davide controlled their bout from the first round, and was once again awarded the gold medal over a decade from her last triumph.

Netherlands’ Nouchka Fontijn had expected to fight in the tournament against England’s defending AIBA World Champion Savannah Marshall, but her main rival missed the championships in Bucharest.

Instead she met with Germany’s young Sarah Scheurich in the final, who had overwhelmed her semi-final opponent, Azerbaijan’s Leila Dzhavadova.

The 27-year-old Dutch star achieved a silver medal in the last edition of the championships in Rotterdam on home soil, and was able to go one better this time by winning gold against her German opponent.

Fact/stat of the championships
A record number of nine nations claimed gold medals in the championships, with only the Russian delegation able to achieve two top positions in Bucharest.

Azerbaijan secured its first ever medal in the history of the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships, as their top women’s boxer Elena Vystropova bagged the gold after defeating England’s Stacey Copeland in the final.

Hungary and Netherlands also claimed a gold medal in the event, while among the developing boxing nations, Croatia took a credible bronze medal in Bucharest.

Quotes of the day
“This is another proud moment for our sport. Katie is a tremendous athlete and a consistent source of pride. Katie Taylor and Clare Grace and the Irish squad in Romania did Ireland proud,” said Tommy Murphy, President of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association.

“Romania should be very proud of themselves, the championships was excellently run, the transport and hotel were also great. Although I did not win the gold medal in Bucharest I have had a brilliant time and great experience which I will learn from. I have had some great performances which I will carry forward onto my next bouts and obviously improve on my weaknesses,” stated England’s London 2012 Olympian Natasha Jonas who claimed a silver medal in Bucharest.

Full list of winners in Bucharest
48 kg : Steluta Duta, Romania
51 kg : Stoyka Petrova, Bulgaria
54 kg : Marzia Davide, Italy
57 kg : Zinayda Dobrynina, Russia
60 kg : Katie Taylor, Ireland
64 kg : Anastasia Beliakova, Russia
69 kg : Elena Vystropova, Azerbaijan
75 kg : Nouchka Fontijn, Netherlands
81 kg : Liliya Durnyeva, Ukraine
+81 kg : Maria Kovacs, Hungary

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