IRISH WORLD CHAMPION PUTS IN REQUEST TO SWITCH ALLEGIANCE TO GREAT BRITAIN TO QUALIFY FOR OLYMPICS
Irish boxing world champion Amy Broadhurst has put in a sensational request to represent Great Britain at the Paris Olympics this summer.
Broadhurst's hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Games for Ireland were dealt a huge blow this month when the Irish Athletic Boxing Association [IABA] told her she would not be going to the final Olympic qualifying tournament.
The 27-year-old won gold in the light-welterweight division at the 2022 World Championships.
That division (63kg) is not an Olympic weight, although Broadhurst has fought at lightweight (60kg) and won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in that category.
Broadhurst's problem is that Ireland's Kellie Harrington has already secured qualification for the lightweight category as the reigning Olympic champion in that weight.
She also failed in her bid to qualify for the Olympics through last year's European Games when she lost to Great Britain's Rosie Eccles in the quarter-finals.
Countries are only allowed to qualify one boxer per weight for the Paris Games and Great Britain don't yet have someone qualified for the 60kg category.
The IABA have now revealed that Broadhurst has put in a request to switch allegiance to Great Britain in order to have a chance of qualifying for the Olympics.
The statement reads: "We were contacted by GB Boxing on behalf of Amy Broadhurst, who had indicated that she intends to seek a change of nationality in a bid to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games.
"We have discussed this with OFI and Sport Ireland and have expressed our disappointment, while wanting to ensure that she understands the full ramifications of this request and the advice she might be receiving if she decides to go ahead with it.
"We have indicated that if she really thinks that is best for her as a person and an athlete after these discussions that we will not stand in her way."
The BBC claim Broadhurst favours trying to qualify for the 60kg weight category.
The switch in allegiance will need to be ratified by the IOC before the final qualifier in Bangkok.
Broadhurst spoke out against the IABA after being informed she would not be assessed for the second World Qualifying tournament in Bangkok.
"It's a bit of a mess and I'm struggling to wrap my head around what is going on," she told BBC Sport NI.
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"I've let my psychologist know to let them know that I won't be up in the high performance centre for the foreseeable future, and I'll be really thinking about not going back up at all."
She added: "Grainne performed well at the qualifiers but, with all due respect, against average boxers, not the likes of the Turks or the Chinese.
"That Polish girl who beat her [Aneta Rygielska] won't medal at the Olympics. And if you're looking at results and everything, I've beaten that same Pole 5-0, so I honestly don't know the thinking process."
2024-03-28T21:39:58Z dg43tfdfdgfd