Cork boxer Christina Desmond secures silver medal and reaches European final

CORK'S Christina Desmond will fight for European Championships gold in Montenegro on Saturday after a dominant display against Melissa Gemini.

Having excelled against Swedish opponent Malena Hede on Tuesday, the Cill na Martra native delivered again, this time overcoming Italian Gemini in the light middleweight 70kg category.

The Garda previously secured a bronze medal in 2016 in the middleweight division butwas only called up to travel to this championships as a replacement for the injured Lisa O'Rourke.

The Irish have been superb to date, with Shannon Sweeney and Michaela Walsh also reaching the semis, picking up bronze medals, while Amy Broadhurst is also through to a final.

Desmond has been flying the Cork boxing flag since first emerging as a promising fighter with Macroom BC and then training at Fr Horgan's. She's a former Youth Olympian, multiple Irish title holder and now a two-time European bronze medalist. Twice she was picked as The Echo Women in Sport overall winner for her exploits in the ring.

Earlier this year, Desmond returned with the golden belt after a very prestigious international tournament in Romania. It was a major boost for the Leesider, whose career was heavily impacted by the Covid pandemic and the restrictions on indoor sports.