European Games 2023: Ireland's Kellie Harrington and France's Sofiane Oumiha among stars to secure European boxing quotas for Paris 2024

The stakes were raised in the European Games boxing competition in Poland, as boxers in nine weight classes battled for a ticket to Paris 2024 on Wednesday 28 June.

A win in the quarter-final of the women's 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg and 66kg and men's 57kg, 63.5kg, 71kg and 80kg was enough to earn a quota for the next Olympics with four boxers from each of those categories obtaining a quota for the Games.

Read on to find out which European boxers have earned the chance to fight for their country at Paris 2024.

As National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games, athletes' participation at the Paris Games depends on their NOC selecting them to represent their delegation at Paris 2024.

In the first bout to finish on 28 June, Great Britain's Charley-Sian Davison put in a scintillating performance in the women's 54kg division. The 29-year-old has now secured a quota for a second Olympic Games, having also competed at Tokyo 2020.

Davison's quarter-final victory over Sweden's Zehra Miller was completed in dominant fashion, as she won each of the three rounds 10-9 on every judge's scorecard.

Ireland's Tokyo 2020 lightweight gold medallist Kellie Harrington was another of the early winners to secure a quota to the Paris Games. The 33-year-old's 4-1 points victory earned a quota for the Games in France and her emotional reaction afterwards showed just how much it means to the athletes competing at these European Games.

"It feels amazing," Harrington said tearfully as she contemplated the chance of winning a second Olympic gold in Paris. "I honestly never thought I'd be a double Olympian. World champion, double world medallist, double European champion... and now a double Olympian. I think I have to celebrate now!"

Fellow Irish fighter Dean Clancy dedicated the 63.5kg victory that secured a quota to the Games to his grandfather who died last Saturday.

“I dedicate it to my grandad,” he said. “He passed away last Saturday, he’s being laid to rest today, this morning. That was for him. It’s been hard but I’m sure he’s looking down on me supporting me.”

France's boxers have been attempting to secure quotas for their home Olympic Games and one of the nation's most famous faces, returning Olympic champion Estelle Mossely, shared her moment of joy with her children after she safely navigated the quarter-finals.

"Qualifying as a mother is awesome," she said. "It shows that we can do both things. My children are here, which is something I wanted."

Another boxer who is likely to be a home favourite at Paris 2024 is Sofiane Oumiha, who is set to box in his third Olympic tournament next year should he be selected by France.

He spoke about just how hard it is to earn a quota for the Games considering the level of competition and everything that's on the line.

"Qualifying is sometimes harder than the Games themselves as everyone dreams about getting there," he told us.

Spain enjoyed a day that will go down in their sporting history with 50kg fighter Laura Fernandez becoming the first-ever Spanish female boxer to secure a quota to the Games.

“It’s a dream,” she said. “It’s history for my country. I’m the first woman from my country to qualify for the Olympic Games and it feels like a dream.”

Another Olympic medallist who will likely fight for gold in Paris is Italy’s Irma Testa who won all rounds in her victory at 57kg.

“I am very happy,” said the bronze medallist from Tokyo 2020. “This is an important ticket for any athlete because the Olympics is everyone’s dream. It’s my childhood dream and I can’t wait to get there and experience all the magic.”

And France's Wassila Lkhadiri perhaps summed up best what it feels like to secure a quota for an Olympics taking place in your home country when she said: “A home Games, I’m in paradise! But this is not the final goal, which is to win the most beautiful medal. It’s a step towards my real goal.”

Paris 2024 quotas allocated at the European continental qualification boxing tournament

Afternoon session:

Women's:
60kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Kellie Harrington (IRL)
• Gizem Ozer (TUR)
• Natalia Shadrina (SRB)
• Estelle Mossely (FRA)

66kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Anna Luca Hamori (HUN)
• Rosie Joy Eccles (GBR)
• Busenaz Surmeneli (TUR)
• Oshin Derieuw (BEL)

54kg - 2 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Charley-Sian Ta Davison (GBR)
• Stanimira Petrova (BUL)

63.5kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Lasha Guruli (GEO)
• Dean Clancy (IRL)
• Sofiane Oumiha (FRA)
• Richard Kovacs (HUN)

80kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Gabrijel Veocic (CRO)
• Salvatore Cavallaro (ITA)
• Oleksandr Khyzhniak (UKR)
• Murad Allahverdiyev (AZE)

Evening session:

Women's

50kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Buse Naz Cakiroglu (TUR)
• Laura Fernandez (ESP)
• Wassila Lkhadiri (FRA)
• Giordana Sorrentino (ITA)

54kg - 2 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Hatice Akbas (TUR)
• Lenuta Perijoc (ROU)

57kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Svetlana Staneva (BUL)
• Michaela Walsh (IRL)
• Amina Zidani (FRA)
• Irma Testa (ITA)

Men's

57kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Javier Ibanez Diaz (BUL)
• Jose Quiles Brotons (ESP)
• Nebil Ibrahim (SWE)
• Vasile Usturoi (BEL)

71kg - 4 quotas (quotas attributed to winners of the quarter-finals)

• Makan-Vie Traore (FRA)
• Nikolai Terteryan (DEN)
• Vakhid Abbasov (SRB)
• Tugrulhan Erdemir (TUR)