IBA World Championships: Ireland’s O’Rourke sisters beaten in Serbia finals

The O’Rourke sisters Lisa and Aoife had to be content with silver medals after they lost their finals at the International Boxing Association’s Women’s World Boxing Championships in Serbia on Sunday.

2022 world light-middleweight champion Lisa was unanimously outpointed by Russia’s Elena Gapeshina while four-time European gold medallist Aoife also lost to Russian opposition on all five judges’ cards as Anastasiia Shamonova clinched the middleweight title in Nis.

The opening round in the 70 kilogram light-middleweight final seemed an even affair but Gapeshina was given a 10-9 verdict on all five cards to put her in control of the bout.

Gapeshina clearly produced the cleaner work in round two to again win on all five cards which left her just having to avoid danger in the closing three minutes and she duly clinched a unanimous verdict.

After her sister’s defeat, three-time European champion and 2023 European Games gold medallist Aoife was next in the ring for the middleweight final against Shamonova, who she defeated in last year’s European final.

However, once again the Russian fighter controlled the contest to take an unanimous verdict.

Two of the five judges had the fight level going into the final round which gave the Irishwoman a chance of clinching gold under the IBA’s bout review system if she was ahead on two cards after the closing round.

But those two judges gave Shamonova the final round as the Russian celebrated victory.

The O’Rourkes, who hail from Roscommon, were making boxing history by becoming the first sisters to contest a World Championship final at the same tournament.