Joe Ward has secured at least a bronze medal after comfortably winning his light-heavyweight quarter-final bout at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Germany.
The 23-year-old beat Belarusian Mikhail Dauhaliavets on a unanimous decision to guarantee a third World medal in a row.
Third seed Ward will face second seed Bektemir Melikuziev in Friday's semi-final.
The Irishman, in his characteristic languid counter-punching style, comfortably absorbed Dauhaliavets' early aggression, hanging back and picking off his opponent, who was repeatedly left swinging at thin air.
Ward picked up the pace in the second round, showing great lateral movement and landing his jab to great effect. Dauhaliavets occasionally got through with the left hook but was taking several punches to land one.
Joe has just secured a bronze medal. Superb performance, was always in control. He now has 3 senior world medals #Incredible#TeamIreland 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/KsouOeWczW
— Bernard Dunne (@Bernard_Dunne) August 29, 2017
The Belarusian knew he had to go for broke in the third and showed admirable spirit but didn't have the class to put Ward under serious pressure, getting caught with a crunching combination entering the final minute.
Four of the judges gave it to Ward on a 30-27 margin, with one scoring it 30-26.
Having won bronze in 2013 and silver in 2015, the Moate man will have his sights set on going one better and securing gold in Hamburg.
To do that, he will most likely have to defeat his nemesis Julio César La Cruz, the four-in-a-row seeking Cuban who beat Ward in the last two championships.
La Cruz beat home fighter Ibragim Bazuev on a unanimous decision in his last-eight bout.
